Ralos Ravenclaw - Dragonborn
by trugamer71
Summary: After escaping Helgen and his unwarranted beheading, Ralos is determined to return home to seek revenge upon his family for their treatment of him. But he plans to return as a conqueror and for that, he needs a title and an army. What better place to acquire both than in this land called Skyrim. This is a fictionalized account of actual gameplay *possible spoilers* Reviews welcome.
1. Chapter 1

Day One

I had forgotten how clean the air could smell, especially compared to the musty rankness of the caverns beneath Helgen. I was also glad to be rid of the Imperial soldier I helped escape. Hadvar, Hadnot, whatever his name was, he knew the way out and that's all that was important. I kept us both alive long enough to be free and now he's gone to see his family.

Family; what a waste of a word. They were the reason I was there to begin with. I was supposed to meet an Argonian to buy some quality skooma when I got caught up in a raid and thrown in with a bunch of thieves and traitors. I knew my sister sent the guards to nab me. She thought my skooma enjoyment was an embarrassment to our high and mighty family. Now I see that my parents thought so as well since they did not try to free me after word had been sent. Fine. To the Nines with them. When I've made a name for myself here in Tamirel, with gold and a title of my own I would return and see them put in their place. I already had dragons going out of their way to free me. That was obviously a sign I was destined for greatness. Of course I would have to harness or slaughter those beasts later - it damn near got me killed. I had a sword and armor, cheap as they were, and some gold in my pocket. That's all I needed, well, that and some skooma. I had to find this Riverwood and introduce them to their next Nord ruler, Ralos Ravenclaw.

I followed the path Hadvar told me to use to reach his little town. I had never been in this area before. There was a lot of beautiful land here I could turn into something worthwhile. I could put a castle on the other side of this river, maybe a monument depicting my arrival nearby. As I walked I ran across a small monument with three large standing stones. Each had a figure carved into it. One looked like a sneaky thief. Perhaps these are tombstones. At least one thief met his just end. The next had a robed figure on it. A mage, most likely. Why would anyone want to become one of those creepy practitioners? Summoning creatures from who knows where? Raising the dead? Reading musty tomes and scrolls for days? Thinking about it made my skin crawl. The third stone, however, now there was a mythic figure - a mighty warrior brandishing a sword. Reminded me of myself, in fact.

I reached out to touch the carving and a voice asked me if I accept the warrior's blessing. I was shocked but recovered quickly. Even the stones here could see my valiant, heroic heart. I accepted and the stone lit up, announcing to the heavens it had found its herald, or so I assumed. I took my iron greatsword from my back and whirled through a couple maneuvers as all true Nords had been trained to do. It felt as though the stone had charged me with an aptitude for learning with the blade. We shall see.

I found out soon enough. Further down the road I ran into two wolves, howling at me from a ledge. They leapt down and came at me fast but I was able to deal with their uncoordinated attack. The last I skewered through his guts and hurled into the swift river. Damn, I could have used that pelt. I almost went after it but my borrowed clothes already looked horrid and getting them wet I'm sure would have only made them smell worse. I skinned the other wolf and moved on. The short battle actually made me feel more comfortable with the blade, though I could not wait to purchase a real weapon. Perhaps Riverwood would have something suitable.

As I approached, I could only hope there was more to this (cough) town than what I saw. Granted, I did not have access to the sort of gold I was used to when living with my parents. How much could they charge for a decent blade made here, anyway? I'll just have to make due until the tributes from my followers began trickling in.

I was barely in town when a tall, blonde man talked to me. He instantly told me above his troubled love life. I glanced behind me to make sure I was the one he was bothering with this. No, it was me. I chose to ignore his outburst and asked where I could pick up some supplies.

"If you have stuff to sell, the Riverwood Trader's your best bet," he told me. "If you need weapons or armor, go see Alvor, the blacksmith. Now about Camilla..."

I spotted the blacksmith just ahead. I had had enough of this fool. "Yeah, yeah, put it all in a letter or something," I told him. Under my breath I muttered, "Then send it to someone who gives a skeever's ass." I left him there to ponder my sage advice.

I spoke to the blacksmith. He was rightfully astounded by the tale of my harrowing escape from a dragon. He begged me to go to the jarl in Whiterun and inform him of the danger of the loose dragon.

"I'd like to," I said, "but my supplies are a bit thin at the moment."

"Take what you need," he said, "within reason."

I seemed to have a good reason for everything he offered me. When I eyed a shiny new steel sword on his table he bristled and puffed up more than I liked. I inquired how much for the greatsword. The lout actually asked for two hundred and seventy-five septims! Did he not understand my plight? Did he not want to be a part of my imminent greatness? I left him at his piecemeal forge to seek out the trader I was told about.

When I entered the ramshackle establishment, the owner and a woman were arguing. How typical of the poor, I noticed. Always yelling at each other. To break the ice I asked about their argument with feigned interest. The owner, Lucan, told me they were robbed. I cursed the bandits hoping to get on their good sides. The woman, Camilla, the owner's sister I later found out, actually gave me a wink. To further curry her favor I offered to go after the retched thieves. Lucan promised a reward and we finished with me selling off a few items I had picked up escaping from Helgen. I had hoped for some finer clothes to buy but he had nothing but mage-wear. I also discreetly asked about any skooma he might have. He gave me an odd, almost pitiful look and said no. I noticed Camilla had gotten up to say she would show me the way to go. I happily followed her, my eyes glued to her swaying backside. Perhaps I would show her the way as well.

We walked to the bridge leading out of Riverwood. She talked the whole way. I thanked her and she finally went away. Thank goodness. Unfortunately, I noticed how late it was and decided to wait until tomorrow to figure out where to go next. I was feeling a bit sluggish from my day of adventuring and my lack of any skooma. I reluctantly went back to the inn I passed and had a quick meal of cheese, rabbit, and some warm ale. All right, three warm ales, but like I said, without skooma, I needed to drink a lot more and I can't stand wine. Too fruity, and it gives me a headache the size of a pregnant horker. After my meal I rented a room and staggered over to the room to my bed.


	2. Chapter 2

Day Two

The next day I felt refreshed and after a quick meal of cheese and a few apples (washed down with ale), I left the little town and decided to head towards Whiterun. I would inform their jarl of the dragon and maybe get a reward. My chances for scoring some skooma are also much better since it should be a bigger town.

On the other side of the bridge I spotted a mudcrab scurrying around in the water. I made short work of it, though it managed to put a new tear in my pants. I cut off its claws for later to make a soup. I also spotted some mushrooms growing on a nearby tree stump. I had heard rumors of some mushrooms that had special effects on people and thought I would give these a try. I tasted one. Not bad, but it only made me light-headed and caused me to see in blue for a moment. Bah, not worth it.

Around the first bend I was attacked by a monstrous, slavering wolf. He got in the first strike since I had no warning. The heavy armor I picked up from Alvor's home helped keep the damage down and I finished off the beast with two swift blows to the neck. One pelt heavier, I moved on to Whiterun. Nearly there I came across a meadery. Now we're talking! I ventured in but the scoundrel wants over sixty septims for a single bottle!

"Good luck with that," I told him angrily and left. "I hope your place becomes infested with skeevers!" I yelled once I was outside.

The neighborhood was terrible. Besides the crooks selling mead, a little further down the road I saw a gang of ruffians attacking a giant. I had no love for the pasty, smelly creatures, but four or five against one? I would have taken him on myself but they killed him too quickly. Cowards. Thieves and cowards, that's all I saw...wait. Could it be? A khajiit caravan?

I picked up my pace and sure enough there was a khajiit trader outside of the town. I asked the main trader, Ri-saad, but it was a silly question. Of course they had skooma. I bought all I could afford, three bottles, and continued toward Whiterun. I would have to make these last. Back home I would go through three in a day. I suddenly realized as I down one bottle immediately that I'm going to have to get more money and get it fast. I could have the best weapon in the world but it won't matter if my hands are shaking too much to hold it.

The guard at the main gate gave me a line about dragons flying around so the town was closed. I'm enjoying my skooma buzz so his brashness did not bother me as much as it should. I informed him I had news for the jarl about the dragons. He let me in but with a warning to watch myself. I was in a good mood, but his insolence was testing that.

After spending most of my money on skooma, I didn't bother looking for any shops. I would just have to meet the jarl dressed as I was. Perhaps I would run into him later after I've found some suitable clothing and I would have another chance to impress him. Whiterun was at least impressive inside the gates. I stopped at the blacksmith's shop to get an idea of her prices. Outrageous! Especially made by a woman! I tried unsuccessfully to control my laughter. Despite this, she asked me to deliver a sword for her to her father in Dragonsreach. The work she did was tolerable, I suppose, definitely better than what I had now.

"I'll do it," I told her. Eventually, I told myself.

I asked for directions from a guard to the jarl's residence. With his closed helmet he sounded just like the last guard I talked to. His directions took me through the entire town. I liked the bustle of the market area but some priest near a fountain needed to calm down a bit. He was going to burst something yelling like that.

At the top of the stone steps I came to Dragonsreach. I liked the view here. I may use this for my command base once I'm established as their ruler. The place was huge. You could fit a dragon in there! Inside I'm stopped by an elf waving a sword at me.

"The jarl is not seeing visitors today," she said.  
I placed my fists on my hips. "He'll see me. Tell him I have news of this dragon, servant."

"That explains why they let you in. The jarl will want to hear of this."

You? What did she mean by that?

I tell the jarl about the dragon's attack on Helgen as Ulfric was about to be executed. His concern seemed to deepen about some war. His advisor, the one I was supposed to give the sword to, squawked about something but he was put in his place by the jarl. I liked this Balgruuf. He knew how to control his people. He turned back to me and gave me an outfit of studded armor form his personal stores. I thanked him and just as I was leaving he wanted me to talk to his court wizard about a task. As much as I loathed mages, I followed in the hopes it would lead to some quick coin.

In the mage's lair the first thing I noticed was a huge map with red and blue pins stuck in it. These must pertain to that war Balgruuf was talking about. I had no idea Tamirel was so vast. I may have to make use of these jarls to oversee the tedium of administration.

The wizard spoke first as I approached. "You must be the one the jarl has told me about."

My fame preceded me. Despite his attempt at flattery I did not trust him. Why must he keep half his face hidden behind that cowl? A wanted man, perhaps, or maybe he was disfigured by some experiment gone wrong. I would not turn my back on this one.

"I am the one everyone is talking about," I admitted. "What do you need?"  
He began to tell me of a simple task, but then he must have seen the hard look I was giving him and changed his tune, admitting it was actually a dangerous endeavor to retrieve an ancient artifact.

"Just tell me what it is and where to go."

Once he realized that the mention of danger only made it irresistible to me he supplied me with the details. I was surprised of the mention of Bleak Falls Barrow again. It was only fitting that a mage would know all about a refuge for bandits and other lowlife. I nodded and left the room without another word. I did not leave immediately, however. Everyone was busy and not concerned that I lingered so I decided to take a look around. I bumped into some brat who not only did not apologize, but called me a wanderer here to lick his father's boots. My skooma buzz saved the lad's life. If he was the jarl's son then I would eat the next skeever I saw. I suspected Balgruuf's adviser was doing more than laying out plans with the jarl's woman.

I noticed not much was locked in the castle so I assumed whatever there was was fair game for the residents and visitors. Of course they wanted their people to look their best so I found some fine clothing in different wardrobes. After changing into the best looking outfit, I felt respectable enough to talk with Balgruuf and be taken seriously. The extra coin and food I found was nice, too. Hopefully the Khajiits would still be there when I left. I decided to eat before heading back to Riverwood. The barrow seemed an easier route from there.  
I stopped at the Bannered Mare and took the only empty seat. I ordered some cooked beef, some ale, and a sweetroll. I managed to choke down the overcooked meat with the help of the stale ale then the bard by the fire began a song about some ugly red haired fellow. We all had a good laugh at the end but when I turned back around my laughter turned to rage. I leapt from my stool.  
"All right, who stole my sweetroll?"

Infuriated, I left the inn without leaving a tip. The nerve of these peasants. On my way out I was stopped by a guard.

"Let me guess," he said, "Someone stole your sweetroll."

I could almost see him grinning inside his stupid helmet. He walked away and I had to down another bottle of skooma to stop my eye from twitching.  
Outside, the Khajiit was stilll there so I bought his last three skoomas and trekked back to Riverwood. I was tired and still a little angry so I checked in at the inn and went right to sleep to be well rested for tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Day Three

In the morning I ate a breakfast of bread, cheese, and a rabbit I had managed to catch last night returning from Whiterun. It was early and still a little dark so the patrolling guards were carrying torches as they walked around. Alvor was asleep so I helped myself to his grinding stone and workbench and improved my equipment. Adrianne's blade sharpened nicely. I may be using this for a while.

I crossed the raging river and after a short walk through the woods, found the path leading towards the barrow. I spotted a watchtower and slowed to a crawl. I could see a filthy bandit standing by the doorway with his arms folded, probably sleeping. I thought better of trying to sneak by since it was not the best thing I did. I strung my longbow and took aim at him. The arrow struck him in the chest but I must have missed his vitals. He shouted at me, rousing his fellows, then came charging with an axe. I put my bow away quickly and drew my sword. I inched backwards down the path to limit how many could come at me at once. The bloody bandit took a wild swing which I parried easily. I smacked him in the face with the sword's pommel, staggering him. I brought my sword down on his neck and he was done. I took a step and an arrow landed in my hip. It did more damage than I would have thought. I could not let him get any more of those shots in. I charged him, weaving through the hard-packed snow until I was within range. He was still trying to shoot me when I ran my sword through his gut, lifting him in the air and throwing him back down. For the first time I noticed it was actually a woman. Is there such a shortage of men here that women have to fill in their ranks? Who's in the kitchens? I wipe my blade on her fur armor but then feel another arrow strike me in the back. I turned and ran for cover behind a tree. I spotted the thief firing from inside the tower. Now that I'm aware, I could tell this one was a woman, too. No matter. Act like a man, die like a man.

I let one more arrow fly by me then charged the wench. She managed to get one shot off before I reached her but it went wild. She dodged by running into the tower. She pulled a dagger as I approached.

"You picked the wrong day to get lost, friend," she hissed.

I laughed and landed one powerful blow at her chest. She dropped to the ground, shocked by my swiftness. I got behind her and exposed her throat to my sword.

"How many more of you are there?" I demanded. "Tell me and I'll end your life quickly, thief."

I could see the fear of me in her eyes, and rightly so. She gurgled, "Seven," then went limp before I could show my mercy. The battle had left me wounded but energized. I searched the tower, turning up some coins, food, and a ruby hidden in a chest at the top. I took the arrows from the bandits and added them to my quiver. The weapons and armor I took from them and stashed in a barrel to retrieve later for extra coin. Let their bodies feed the wolves.

I ate some of the food I had just found, some cabbage and apples, and I felt better instantly. I proceeded along the switchback nearby as the wind began whipping the snow around. I could barely see. If I was not in the mountains I would have suspected a wizard at work. A little further and the barrow appeared through the snow. The wind died down as I tried to sneak closer. That figured. A blizzard would have hidden me quite nicely. I spotted one bandit pacing back and forth to my left on a stone platform. I took aim with my bow but stopped as another bandit appeared to my right. I did not think they saw me but suddenly the new bandit came charging down the steps with a battleaxe at the ready. I turned my bow on him but my shot went wide. Must have been a gust of wind, or something. He was a big fellow and approached fast so I ditched my bow and readied my sword.

I blocked his initial blow and wound up for a power swing of my own. Before I could, however, he recovered and hit me across the shoulder, narrowly missing my head. The damn thing cut right through my armor. Suddenly an arrow hit me as well then the brute with the axe attacked again. I barely managed to block it and suddenly my blood was pounding in my ears. They must have known their only chance was to attack all at once and with all their fury. I had to buy myself some time. I made a break for it, running behind the axe-wielder as he tried a finishing blow. As I ran, another two arrows landed at my feet. I quickly drank two of the potions for healing I had picked up in Helgen. Hadvar had told me what they were for but I doubted I would need them. At least I had the sense to keep them handy. I also chugged another vial of skooma to aid my fatigue. Refreshed and out of range of the archers, I returned to the battle.

The axe man was almost upon me again. This time I waited for him to swing, stayed out of his reach, then darted in when he was off balance. I landed two slashes, one high, one low, then blocked his counter swing. I rammed my sword across his face and bloodied his nose. He fell to one knee and I finished him off, splashing red on the snow. The archers were still waiting, slowly inching down the steps to try their luck a little closer. I woould not give them the satisfaction. I was nobody's target dummy. Nimble even in my armor, I swiftly closed on them both. One looked to be wearing less armor, another woman, so I went after her first. She drew a sword as I got close but she was too slow. She hit me once, a glancing blow to my arm, but I followed up with a two stroke killing move I had learned from my father's master-at-arms. The third bandit hid behind a pillar but I knew he was there. I worked around to see him and he let an arrow fly. I anticipated as much and it missed as I ducked back. Again I charged and he only took two hits to bring down.

I rummaged through their belongings, hoping for another of those healing potions but found only meager coin and questionable food. I found one green bottle that smelled a bit like skooma but lacked its consistency. I kept it just in case.

The desperate bandits had made me wary so I searched for an entrance besides the huge double doors of the barrow. To the right I found nothing and the left only a hidden alcove with a satchel and a locked strongbox. The satchel had nothing worthwhile but once I managed to jimmie the strongbox open I found a single coin and a large ruby. I pocketed both and wondered at the coin. Perhaps it was someone's lucky coin. I would rather have the lucky ruby, myself. Now that I had had time to rest and wrap my minor wounds, I opened the doors to the barrow.

Inside I found a large, ruined chamber. The floor was littered with crumbling stone, dead skeevers, and one large dead bandit. At least that was one less I had to sully my blade on. I heard voices up ahead and saw two of the thieves standing by a fire arguing. Probably rutting-mates. I crept up to the corpse and relieved it of its coin. It was still warm and I nearly stepped in a puddle of blood around its throat. I resisted the urge to gag. I looked up to see another bandit laying face up on a tomb. These bandits were nothing but animals. Time for some fun. I snuck to the left where I saw a small alcove. It offered a perfect view of the bandits as well as cover. I got my bow out and buried an arrow in the woman's neck. Somehow she survived and the two of them scoured the room looking for me. I remained hidden and finished her off with two more stealthy arrows. I could not contain my mirth long enough to do the same to the man, however. He heard me chuckling and demanded for me to come out. I obliged him and quickly sent him to the Hells with his fellow scum. Four in here, three outside. That should have been it according to the cowering thief I questioned. But why would they all just be standing around? None of the lowlifes had Lucan's claw on them. There must be more inside. Damn her! She lied to me! Me! Or she can not count, which would be more believable. Either way it appeared there may be more to deal with. I took anything useful from the bandits and stashed it in a chest near the fire. Those lockpicks I kept finding had proven useful and surprisingly easy to use.

I crept through the barrow's tunnels, finding nothing of real use to me. I did find one bottle of healing potion along with some linen wraps that could prove very useful later, especially if the food I was finding did not sit well in my stomach. I left some of the rougher fabrics behind. A little further I nearly ran into another bandit as he approached a lever in the ground. I knew there had to be more! I readied my bow for a shot to his head. The thief threw the lever and was instantly pelted with darts. He went down quickly. They must have been laced with poison. Once in the chamber I saw the lever was part of a trap. The key to it was simple enough to figure out, even with one of the answers dislodged. Simple fool. I checked his person but he did not have the claw either. Stairs to the right lead up to some shelves where I found another healing potion. I returned and opened the gate to continue on.

I found some coins in an urn and a clear blue crystal a little ways in. I heard the squeaking of skeevers and turned to see three of the foul creatures climbing a spiral staircase towards me. I made short work of them, suffering only a few bites. Luckily none were diseased. At the bottom of the stairs I found a moldy scroll and a bottle of something smelling so foul it could only be poison. I pocketed both to sell later once I left this dank place.

Further along I heard someone calling out. How many of these bandits were there? I followed the voice. This one sounded frantic and a bit insane. I had to cut through a thick mass of cobwebs to go any further. How long had he been in there? As soon as I was through, a huge shadow appeared on the ground. I looked up to see the biggest spider I had ever seen, even bigger than the ones I dispatched back in Helgen. The man started screaming, "Don't let him get me!" He was trapped in webs against the far wall. I ignored him as best I could and started after the spider. Before I could close, it shot a stream of poison at me, hitting me in the chest. I was weakened instantly and retreated back the way I came. Spitting spiders? How fair was that? I could see the hairy beast waiting for me to go back. He would just have to wait. I ate some of the food I found while I recovered. The man's screaming was beginning to hurt worse than the poison.

"Shut up, thief, or I'll leave you here to feed its young!"

That did no good. He was too hysterical. I debated using my bow on the thief to put us both out of our misery, but perhaps he knew something I could use. I decided not to kill him, yet, and took aim at the giant arachnid. It was wary and kept luring me in to be able to get a good enough shot at him but eventually he succumbed to my prowess and patience. My skill with the bow was definitely improving, though I was worried over my supply of arrows.

I snagged two arrows from its carcass and some poison as well. I noticed a few lockpicks sticking out of some dry corpses on the floor and grabbed those as well. The man's shouts were too grating to ignore so I questioned him.

"Where is the claw?"

He said he had it and knew how to use it. Perhaps I would let him live.

"Hand it over then, thief."

He pointed out that his hands were obviously stuck and I must free him first. I did not care for his attitude much. I may only let him live just long enough. There was no reason justice should not be dealt out as soon as possible.

"Don't move," I warned him, "Wouldn't want to accidentally cut anything important off, would we?"

Even through the webbing I could see him starting to sweat and glancing downwards. Though tempting, I merely started hacking through the webs. He collapsed and thanked me profusely. Then he called me a fool and took off running. He was swift, I'll give him that. This was why mercy and me had never gotten along. I cursed acidly then gave chase.

Luckily, there were no forks in the tunnel or doors for him to duck into and I was able to catch sight of him. Fast as he was, he realized he could not escape me and turned to fight. We exchanged blows in the narrow confines of the dark tunnel but my recent fights had given me more experience with this blade and I eventually cut him down like the waste he was. A quick search of his cooling body revealed the golden claw Lucan had claimed stolen. Along with a few other useful items, I found the man's journal. I sat and read a bit to rest my aching body. The man was obviously no bard. I would love to down another of my skooma but I resisted. Who knows when I would be able to locate more.

According to the journal, there would be a lock that required this claw for a key. I snapped my fingers, the sound echoing down the tunnel. That must be the location of the dragonstone Farengar wanted. First a dragon saved my life, then I'm asked to retrieve a dragonstone, now I'm fortuitously given the very key to accomplish it. Dragons must be somehow linked to my grand destiny. I've heard they are highly intelligent. Perhaps the next one I see I will try to converse with to see how they may serve me best.

Rested, I continue on. This task was already taking longer than I expected. I've got a kingdom to overthrow and I'm picking through dead thieves clothes? This had better be worth it. It does not take long before the stench of death fills the still air. I got a better grip on my sword as I proceeded down a ramp. I could see crypts set within the walls ahead of me. Some were empty but others were filled with the dead in various stages of preparation. Sloppy work, no wonder it had fallen under control of bandits. My family would never have let their dead go so unattended. That lead to the dead coming back to seek revenge.

No sooner did I finish the thought then I see one of the interred moving to get up. Did Farengar even warn me about this? I could not recall but it did not matter now. The dead were walking, armed and armored, and only I was there to send them back. I suspected Farengar sent me here knowing what was waiting. I intended to live long enough to get the truth of that out of him.  
The dead man taunted me, waving his ancient sword in the air. As he approacheed, I noticed more dead were following him. Again I retreated to a narrower space and let them come at me. I was not even sure they could be killed with a normal weapon. I soon found they died as surely as the living, though less messily. They proved to be no match. I checked the dead for loose coin. No sense letting the bandits have it. I passed by a nasty spiked door, only noticing the pressure plate just before stepping on it. The tunnel lead past more crypts, these fancier, but still poorly maintained. I could smell oil heavy in the air and noticed the fuel pooling on the floor below the hanging lanterns. The whole place was a fire trap. It did give me an idea, though, as more of the dead appeared. A few of the dead men ran at me and I put my new archery skills to use, severing one of the lanterns in front of them. The ensuing conflagration destroyed them all. The smell, however, would haunt my nose for days. Another trap, one with large swinging pendulum blades, took me a moment to figure out. I simply timed it right and ran through them. I felt sorry for anyone old or with a gimpy leg. That would indeed be precarious, but what would they be doing in here anyway.

I found three more chests, containing various useful items, healing potions, scrolls, and coins. There was even one dead warrior, I believe someone once called them draugr, that came right out of a closed stone coffin to try to kill me. He died just as easily. I passed by a waterfall hiding another chest then came to a door. Hopefully this dragonstone was on the other side. I stopped to have a quick dinner of cheese and a horse haunch I had acquired from Dragonsreach.  
I pressed on through the door but nothing immediately attacked me. In fact it was too quiet with just the wind howling low through the passage. A little further I heard the scything sounds of another blade trap. I saw nothing moving beyond them so I waited then ran through them again, this time the last blade passed through the hem of my armor, slicing off a piece. Now I would have to replace that. My ruined armor would have to wait as a draugr rose from an open coffin beside me. I ran up to it as it struggled to get to its feet. It took three hits but it collapsed back into the coffin. How was that for efficient? My self-congratulations were put on hold when an arrow pierced my side. I looked up to see one of the dead standing on a ledge firing down on me. Another had made his way down the stairs. This one still had a full red beard around his bony chin. We engaged swords near a puddle of oil. I blocked his sword then cut his leg out from under him and slashed down across his neck. The archer was still shooting but he apparently could not hit a moving target to save his..uh..death. I charged upstairs and he waited too long to switch weapons. I knocked him off his perch and he died on impact. I went back downstairs to check a small side room I had noticed during the fight. All I found was a small bottle, unlabeled, but it felt warm to the touch. I pocketed it for sale later.

The path lead me upstairs and to another set of doors. These opened onto a long chamber. It was silent and warm, the fires illuminating carved representations on the walls. The one I found the most interesting was of a warrior holding the skull and spine of a dragon in each hand. I would have to remember that pose for one of my statues that I commission. I approached the stone door at the end of the chamber and worked out the puzzle on it using the claw just as the craven thief's journal described. The ancient stoneworks proved flawless as usual and the door descended into the floor revealing a staircase leading up. This must be it.

The cavern was immense. Waterfalls cascaded on either side of an enormous alter. I could already feel a power in this room, felt it in my blood. I barely noticed a colony of bats rush past my head. I crossed a small bridge and I heard chanting that grew louder as I approached an odd wall. I saw an alter, another coffin, and a chest but the wall held my interest. A giant stone reptilian head stared down from the top. Below it, I saw mysterious writings and a small spot that was glowing. I was drawn closer and suddenly the room began shifting and I nearly blacked out. A word burned itself into my vision though I did not know what it meant. I could almost hear it sizzling and the sound brought me back to the chamber, and none too soon. The top of the coffin burst open and I forced myself to grab hold of my sword to defend myself. Even at a distance I could feel a coldness radiating from the towering warrior. He laughed evilly then lurched forward with some sort of shout. An invisible force, as well as the foulness of his breath, staggered me back into the wall. He did not mean for me to leave this cave. I swore I would never become one of his thralls.

I took the fight to him, knowing he would only cut me down if I tried to find a better vantage to fight from. I blocked his first strike but even so, my arms ached as if suddenly frozen. It was then I saw the frost emanating from his sword. I felt tired already. I changed my tactics after realizing I must rely on quickness rather than brute force. He raised his sword for another blow but I bashed my sword into him first. He reeled back and I slashed at his chest. He tried to hit me again and I did the same. Death had obviously given him no extra intelligence. I did this twice more and he fell to the ground on one knee. I had tried mercy before with Arvel and it bit me in the ass. This time, the sentence would be passed as Ralos Ravenclaw has learned is best. My sword sliced into the creature's neck and his skeletal form crumpled then slid down the stone steps. The people of this land would find all my judgements just as swift and sure.

I sheathed my sword and scoured the alter and cavern for the loot I just earned. I found much that I could later sell from two other chests, including a scroll having to do with courage and a bottle labeled 'frenzy'. The potion sounded like something used for one of their heathen sacrificial orgies. I'll just keep that. All together I found three chests but no dragonstone. Damn wizards and their lies. I knew he was just trying to lure me to my death. When I get back I'm going to shove...I stopped by the alter to pick up the warrior's magic sword when I noticed something poking out from under him. I rolled the decaying corpse over and found an object that can only be the artifact I was looking for. The wizard shall live another day. Perhaps I may just set him to be my personal skooma maker. I searched and find a hidden passage out. It lead to another chest with a nice garnet inside and I followed the fresh air outside.

"What the Hells?" I said.

My curse echoed down the mountainside several times. The passage lead me to a cliff on the side of a mountain. It was beginning to get dark but I thought I could manage to scale my way down. While looking for a way down I found an orange bottle. Apparently I was not the first to be trapped up here. I stashed it away and began down slowly.

I dodged around some very old mammoth bones and made my way down to the nearby lake. There, I refreshed myself in the water, being careful to fold my clothes on a nearby dry rock. I gave little thought to someone happening upon my nakedness. Some of my best memories as a youth involved things 'happening' with the lasses in the hot springs near my home. The water livened me. It was no skooma, but it was free. While swimming, I spied a rock formation underwater. I'm no strong swimmer but the lake was calm and I dove to see if anything was worth salvaging. I spotted a chest and luckily it was unlocked, revealing a steel mace and some coin. Suddenly I was besieged by several nasty looking slaughterfish. Ridiculously, I swung the mace at them. One even bit my hand as the weapon floated in front of them. Their bites were taking a toll so I hurried away before they bit more than my hand.

I treated the small bites until they stopped bleeding. By then I was dry enough to get dressed. It was getting darker by the moment it seemed so I checked my map. I believed I was near Riverwood so I headed that way. Even the Sleeping Giant Inn accommodations would be welcome at this point.

I trekked through the woods following the river that was just out of sight to my right. It was a pleasant enough walk with the smell of lavender and mountain flowers in the cooling air. From out of the dusky gloom materialized an old cabin. Odd that it was just out here in the middle of nowhere. At the front of the cabin sat an old woman. She said I had no need to trouble with her, as if she indeed posed a danger. It was a long shot but I step inside her cabin for a quick look around to see if perhaps she had some bottles of skooma, since with all her ingredients lying around she obviously was brewing something. I find nothing but a book which I avoided touching, recalling the magic tome I opened in Dragonsreach. Upon leaving, the old woman, Anise, she said her name was, turned towards the woods and crouched. Her hands began to glow.

"I'll teach you to trifle with me," she said.

A glowing wolf appears in front of her and together they disappeared into the dark. I could not see what was going on but I heard blasts of magic and men yelling at her. A war among mages? Could anything be more revolting? I decided to leave them to their squabble. I was far too tired to care for such pettiness. A wolf howled in pain and I assumed it was Anise's. I heard a woman cry out then two mages dressed in black robes with skulls on the front emerged from the woods and came after me.

Necromancers, the worst of the vile orders of magic. I knew I would not be able to outrun their magic so I grabbed my sword from my back and charged the nearest one. He put up some sort of energy shield. My sword made contact with it but it did not seem to penetrate. He was still standing, his bald head shining in the moonlight. I was suddenly enveloped in a wave of frost. My movements slowed and I felt my energy failing me. I turned to look at the other mage who was hitting me with a shaft of whitish-blue magic. He was close so I took a swing at him which stopped the magic and forced him back. I felt weak so I dashed back to the cabin. The two mages followed. Inside, I quickly unstoppered two of the health potions and one of the green bottles. The effects were instantaneous and I felt warmer and hale once again. I chose another bottle, this one I had filled with poison from one of the spiders I killed, and I poured it over my sword. Someone was about to get a nasty surprise.

They made the mistake of separating outside. One stayed by the door while the other circled around to an open window. I stabbed at the one by the door. He backed up, his whole body tinged with blue. I hit him one more time and he fell on his side, blood smearing his robes along his leg. That poison worked nicely. My blade looked clean so I emptied another bottle over it.

"Come here, Mage," I called out. "I've got a point to make. Go through your chest, that is."

We met each other coming around a corner. He had a spell ready and started blasting me with the white light again. My health restored, I managed to endure the chill long enough to reach him and chop off one of his extended arms. He fell and tried to crawl away, the poison dripping onto the ground from his wound.

"This is for the old woman, Vermin," I said and plunged my sword through his chest.

I did not survive the barrow's demons to be taken down by some balding men in robes. I cleaned my blade on the mage and went in search of the woman. I intended to lay her in her cabin to keep the wolves away from her. She did not threaten me so she should not have died so. I looked around but I do not find her body. I shuddered to think perhaps there was a third mage that carried her off. I spit in revulsion and quickly left the place. I'll need plenty of ale to help forget this night.

It was late when I finally arrived in Riverwood. I was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. My head was pounding but I doubted it's from the wounds I had taken. More likely it was from that word that seared my mind back at the barrow, or my nagging desire for a sip of skooma. On the way to the inn I checked at the traders and to my surprise, they were open. Let me get this over with.

Lucan was shocked to see me and even more shocked to see the golden claw. He acted disappointed by its appearance, however, and I think he meant to lessen my reward. I suggested it would look better back in the barrow and he quickly changed his tone. He handed me a purse filled with four hundred septims. Less than I expected, but the loot I collected will make up for the difference. I took some coins off the counter as well and a wheel of cheese to compensate.

"You've done a great thing for me and my sister," he said.

Sister? I had almost forgotten about Camilla. She stood as I was about to leave, showing proper deference to my station, no doubt. I gave her a look as she stopped in front of me.

"It's a fine day with you around," she said, her tongue wetting her lips.

"If I wasn't so tired," I answered, "I'd make it a fine night as well."

Lucan cleared his throat a little too loudly and Camilla retreated to their upstairs. I smiled at Lucan, nodded, then left. I truly was too tired.

At the inn, I bought slaughterfish for dinner, three ales, and a honeynut treat. My own little revenge on those nasty buggers from the lake. I was feeling better afterwards, though drowsy, so I asked Orgnar for a room. I thought of going back to Alvor's but his snoring was louder than that anvil of his. Orgnar said the innkeeper was out but I could rest my head on a table. I was so tired I did not even feel like killing him for that. I hurled one of the empty mead bottles against the wall and left. I dragged myself over to Alvor's house but it was locked.

I did not have the patience for this one cow town. Gathering the last of my strength I marched over the bridge towards Whiterun. Along the way I was attacked my an Argonian thief. He wielded his daggers expertly but he had picked the wrong night to slither from the banks. I finished him off with three swift hammerblows to the head. I relieved him of a large amethyst, a few lockpicks, and his armor as well. A slimy reptile has no need for such good clothes anyway. As a final indignaton to match my foul mood, I picked him up and tossed him back into the river from whence his kind came.

I was staggering with fatigue now and I wanted a skooma. It was in my hand before I knew it but I resisted. If I drank it I would never get to sleep until I passed out wherever I happen to be standing. I put it back in my pouch and trudged to Whiterun.

I did not even look at the guards as I shambled through the street to the Bannered Mare. I think I spoke to the innkeeper, perhaps even paid for the room. All I remembered was a green blanket hitting my face.


	4. Chapter 4

Day Four

I awoke confused. I was still fully dressed in my armor and for a moment the battles from the previous returned so vividly I thought I was just recovering from one. I scrambled from the bed and searched for my sword. The murmur of sounds from the inn below reached me and slowly my mind unraveled the past few hours. Damn Riverwood. I can't believe I had to come all the way here just to sleep. I have to stay away from those backwater towns. They're too frustrating.

The search for my sword revealed two on the floor. Smoke was rising from one, an ancient blade and I remembered I had taken it from the dead warrior guarding the Dragonstone. Panicky, I patted the pouch I stowed the stone in. It was still there. I stood and grabbed both swords. After giving each a swing, I preferred the weight and balance of the ancient two-handed blade, despite its magical properties. If magic was so prevalent here I had best learn to tame it so it may serve me when I need it to. Now Avenicci could have his little girl's sword back. At least it had been properly blooded by a warrior before becoming an ornament.

I had to sit on the bed for a moment as my head swam and my stomach clenched like a fist. I rummaged through my pack and found a bottle of skooma. I drank it and felt my muscles relax and the pressure in my head ease, yet my mood did not improve much since my stomach had a mind of its own. I changed into my finer, cleaner clothes went down the narrow stairs and ordered a small breakfast from Hulda. She asked if I meant lunch since it was midday. I could not believe I slept so long. I took my cheese and horker loaf and decided to eat as I walked. I saw Belethor's shop straight ahead and stopped in to sell most of the loot I had collected yesterday. I drained him of every coin he had then went to the alchemist next door.

"So you're interested in my potions and ingredients?" she asked.

"No, your timeless beauty and fashion sense. Why else would I be here, Hag?"  
I muttered an apology and sold off the unlabeled potions and poisons I found. I also stocked up on all the healing potions she had. They had come in very handy. Though the potions were a bit pricey I still had quite a bit of coin left over so my walk back up to Dragonreach was much more pleasant. I even stopped a couple from arguing over a sword, mostly because they were in my way. The man had the nerve to ask me to keep an eye open for it in my travels. I told him I would and that seemed to make his day. Ah, the little people. I learned from my father that if you keep the poor happy enough and they will choose to overlook nearly anything you do. He also showed me how fear could do the same thing, but I think that was unintentional. I continued to Dragonreach, remembering the day was waning.

I found Farengar in his lair talking with someone else, a woman I believe, though her face was shaded by a hood and her body encased in leather armor. I had no time for pleasantries so I interrupted their discussion by tossing the artifact onto his desk.

"I found your stone for you, Wizard," I said, "Though you could have been more specific about the dangers. I have more important things to do than chop down rotting corpses and skewer bandits. Now, what about my reward?"

"You'll have to speak to the jarl about that, perhaps Avenicci."

The wizard must have sensed my rising indignation for he quickly switched the subject to his associate next to him. She was suitably impressed with my heroics so I decided to not make a scene. As she was leaving, Irileth came running in telling Farengar the jarl wanted to see him. A dragon had been spotted. She told me I should come as well. Who does this elf think she is?

Farengar placed his sweaty hand on my shoulder as he passed. "Perhaps now you will have something worthy to chop down."

I sneered at his obvious contempt of my skills. "I'd like to start right now, spell-spitter."

"The jarl means now, boys," said Irileth.

Farengar ran after the elf and I followed. Perhaps the jarl would have my reward on him.

Upstairs, the jarl was questioning one of his guards who saw the dragon. Apparently it had focused its attack on a watchtower to the west. Balgruuf sent Irileth and a detachment of guards to investigate. He turned to me and asked me to go as well. Obviously he knew a real man was needed for this mission. This jarl was proving wiser every time I spoke with him. He gave me leave to buy property in the city then bestowed a helmet to me from his personal stores. I tried not to show my disdain for the leather helm, though it did radiate a magical aura. It should fetch a pretty septim at the blacksmith's.

I left to take care of this dragon and Farengar fell in behind me. Balgruuf, however, told him to stay with some lame excuse that he could not risk him and Irileth. The wizard did not have the onions to argue and merely shut up. I clamped my hand onto his shoulder.

"Don't take it too hard, Wizard. The jarl knows this requires a certain type of manhood you do not possess. I'll tell Irileth you could not make it, however."

I caught up to Irileth and her detachment. Hopefully there were more guards waiting at the watchtower if this dragon is the same as the one I saw. With any luck I would be able to speak with this one and allow him to aid me in my quest for dominance of this land. At the least I needed to ask him if he knew anything about that wall with the dragon's head on it in Bleak Falls Barrow. I could still see that word when I closed my eyes.

As we approached the tower, I could already see smoke rising into the air. It seemed we are too late. Irileth gave her men a speech before we went in to see what happened. The building was a wreck with the ramparts destroyed, though the tower itself still looked accessible. The smell of burning hair from several charred corpses tainted the air. I passed close enough to these to find many usable steel arrows on them. I added them to my quiver and suddenly a guard yelled out that the dragon had returned. I was relieved that I would not have to track him down myself. I scanned the sky but saw nothing.

A giant form roared over the tower then circled wide for another pass. Several guards took cover inside the tower. Damn cowards. The dragon swooped and hovered above me. I could tell this was not the one I saw before but perhaps he would listen to reason as well.

I shouted to him, "Dragon, I have a proposition..."

A gout of fire erupted from the dragon's mouth and bathed me in searing heat. I cursed madly and ran for cover by some of the stone wreckage. The fire raged on my clothes even as the dragon flew off. I drank one of the healing potions I had just purchased to ease to burns. This one must be deaf or dumb. He did not even give me a chance to finish. Perhaps I am too low. As Irileth and the guards made ready to attack the creature, I ran for the tower. I pushed past a couple of guards standing in the doorway and swiftly climbed the stairs. Though the roof was more at his level, he pretended not to hear me and remained focused on killing the guards attacking him below. I knew I should have left them back in the city. I can not allow this beast, now obviously too enraged to reason, to attack Whiterun. I don't need rebuilding a city to deter my plans for ruling it. The beast must die.

Between my precise steel arrows, Irileth's magic bolts, and some hapless hacking from the guards, the dragon was soon grounded though still spewing fire. I rushed down to finish him off. I saw several guards lying prone on the ground and the rest surrounded the enraged dragon, harrying it from all sides. I drew my ancient sword and began slashing at its vulnerable side. The dragon wavered on his feet so I decided to finish the battle by smashing my weapon onto the dragon's head three times until it laid still.

The guards cheered then dispersed but I felt something strange was happening with the dragon. I heard a sound like a gust of wind rushing through the trees then the animal's body began to disintegrate, the scales blowing away like feathers. A force surged from the dragon and I felt my body draw it in like precious air. The word that had burned into my mind spoke to me and I understand its ancient language. "Force," I heard.

Once back to normal, I examined the dragon and picked through various items I saw within its skeleton including bones and scales that are heavier than I would have thought. A guard approached me and told me he thought I was something called a Dragonborn. I do not usually give a skeever's snout for what others think, but I liked the sound of that. A lot. He told me to try to shout. I thought he is insane at first but I instinctively knew what he meant. From within my soul I released a power I never knew I had, using the Word I had just learned. It staggered the guards. Irileth was unimpressed but I was not surprised coming from a dreary elf. I must find out more about this new power. It seems dragons are the key to my destiny, but where can I find out more about this? Perhaps Balgruuf will know something. He does live in a place called Dragonreach. The sky was darkening so I hurried back to Whiterun before the jarl turned in for the night.

I was almost to the gates of Whiterun when thunder crashed and the ground trembled. I swore I heard the word, 'Dovahkiin' in the sky's rumbling. Dovahkiin - Dragonborn. How do I know that word? And how is there thunder from a clear sky? My head should be clear by now. I've already had one skooma not too long ago. With all that's gone on, perhaps I should have another, though I will need to find more soon.

Enough! I must focus on why I am being connected so much lately with these dragons.

Inside Dragonsreach, I stopped at a side table to empty a bottle of ale and scarf down a carrot and a taffy treat. The jarl was, as usual, slouching in his throne when I approached. He sat up and asked about the dragon. I recounted how we found the tower destroyed and how I managed to slay the beast responsible. He looked at me oddly and asked if anything else happened. I told him how afterwards I absorbed the dragon's soul for my own use. He was in awe of my new power, now believing the thunder was indeed a summons from the Greybeards. This sounded like more mage trickery but I asked about it anyway. He told me of how the Greybeards up in High Rothgar practice using the Voice. If I could turn this shout of mine into something more powerful, something that will kill, there will be no one to stand in my way.

"There is no ignoring the summons of the Greybeards," Balgruuf told me.  
"Do not worry, jarl," I responded. "I'll go to these men but only because I am curious myself. They are obviously in need of help or guidance to go to such lengths to find me. Now, about ridding your city of the dragon..."

I left the sentence unfinished on purpose and he fell in line, handing over to me a magical axe, the title of Thane of Whiterun, and a personal servant called Lydia. At last, after so many days I finally have an appropriate title to keep the minions in line with. At this rate, I should be Emperor by the end of the month. Then I may just pay a visit to my dear sister and show her my appreciation for what she did.

I snapped out of my revelry to find I'm hefting my new axe and grinning wickedly. I left the court ladies behind to debate my calling and go to find my new housecarl. My clothes were in serious need of washing and repair. Hopefully I will not have to slap one of those Whiterun guard helmets over her face.

To my delight, Lydia was passably good-looking, in a roguish sort of way. Her armor was similar to mine, which I do not care for but she filled out the chest plate much more amply, which I did care for. She carried a shield telling me she was ready for action at any time. I may have to put that to the test. She introduced herself. Her attitude was sufficiently subservient. I asked her what exactly a housecarl was. She said that it was her duty to protect me and all that I own, even with her life.

"Well, hopefully it won't come to that, my dear. But I must warn you, as my power and fame grows, more and more people will be after me. Here, you may carry this. Use it if you like."

I handed her the Axe of Whiterun.

"I am sworn to carry your burdens," she said.

"You make it sound like I'm using you as a pack animal. Don't be a silly girl. To me, you're more like a pack person. More than an animal, you see?"

I don't think she quite understood my magnanimousness towards her. I hoped she was not so simple in battle.

Handing Lydia the axe reminded me of something. I told her to follow me and I went to find Avenicci. He was standing beside the jarl, looking sullen and cowed. I handed over the sword his daughter made for him. He looked it over.

"This looks as if it's been used," he said.

I shrugged. "It's a long way from the forge. Dung happens. Take it or leave it."

"I'll wait for the right time to give it to the jarl. Here are some coins for your trouble."

The magistrate handed me ten septims. Ten! I found more than that on one of the rotting corpses in the barrow. And he's going to give his daughter's sword that she made for him to the jarl? No wonder Skyrim was drowning in scum and hellspawn. I tossed his meager reward to one of his obviously illegitimate children.

"Here," I told the little brat, "Go buy your father some better boots to lick, if you know who the bastard really is."

I gladly left Dragonsreach with Lydia following behind who looked shocked at such language.

On my way down the precarious steps from the keep, I ran into a woman I could not believe I missed before. Her hair is as red as the sky as it burned towards dusk. I started a conversation with her right there and she mentioned the Khajiit caravans. My body began to ache as I can not help but think of my dwindling skooma supply. I meant to subtly ask about one or the other but somehow she began talking about becoming a trader and how this guy, Madraun, or something, was going to help her but she needed a mammoth tusk. She would even share some of her trading secrets as a favor. Beautiful or not, I had better things to do.

"Good luck with that," I told her, laughing, and looked over at Lydia to see if she also found the humor in it. Surprisingly, she did not. She even placed her hand on her hip as if to say we were not going anywhere yet.

"Fine, maybe I can help. Perhaps we can even exchange favors?" Wink.

"Perhaps," she said, and walked away slowly.

Eventually I looked back at Lydia. "Happy?"

The housecarl shook her head. "Lead on."

I decided it's too late to go see these Greybeards, who Lydia informed me were on the other side of the mountains to the Southeast, so we went to the Bannered Mare for dinner and a bed. After dinner she said she had her own bed in town and would meet me in the morning, unless I felt too scared to be left alone in a big city surrounded by guards. I scoffed and sent her on her way. This one's going to be trouble, I thought to myself. Hopefully she can at least cook.


	5. Chapter 5

Day Five

In the morning, Lydia roused me from my bed as I had instructed her to do the night before. I started to fall back asleep and she threatened to yank the sheets off and dump me on the ground. I turned over onto my back.

"Go ahead," I said, my arms thrown wide.

Lydia glanced at my clothes lying neatly folded beside me and actually blushed. "I'll wait downstairs."

I laughed just enough to wake up but getting out of bed was not easy. The room was spinning and there was no way I would be able to eat until it stopped. I searched my pack for a bottle of skooma and for a moment I feared they had been stolen. Then my fingers locked on one and I emptied it in moments. It stopped the room, and my stomach, from spinning but the fear remained. I knew I was down to one left. This trip would not go well if I exhausted myself. Hopefully these Greybeards were not too far up in the mountains.

We left Whiterun after eating and headed east over a bridge then topped a rise where two wolves ambushed us from behind some rocks. Lydia took out one with her bow while I stopped one in its tracks with a slash to its head then put it down for good with another blow. The magical properties of my sword made me leary of it but I liked the results. The wolf at my feet was partially frozen.

"You're damn good with that bow, girl. Who taught you how to shoot?"

"My father taught me when I was a girl when my mother had taken ill. She went to live with her kin and I went hunting with my father when no one else was home. But I'm a girl no longer, my Thane. You would be wise to remember that."

She marched past me and I hurried to keep up. Just past the top of the hill, she turned almost south at a rock marker and we followed a winding trail past a Stormcloak camp and up into the mountains. At times the path was barely visible but she seemed confident in her directions so I only protested a little bit, just to keep her focused. Besides a quick snowstorm the only things we encountered were three goats who did their best to flee from us. We got to the other side and it was still early. The mountain pass had not taken nearly as long a I feared. Because of a light rain that began to fall we stayed near the pine trees at the base of the mountain and followed another clearer path.

"I thought the Greybeards were up in the mountain?" I asked.

"Not this mountain," she said then pointed to another behemoth of a mountain. "That one."

The mountain was so tall I could not even see the top. I cursed loudly, which only made her smile, and continued on.

We passed by a ruined gate along the road and I noticed something inside one of the stone structures. I discovered some baskets, one with a book on top. The title said, 'The Warrior's Charge'. Hoping for some fighting instruction, I opened the book and began reading. It was nothing but a book of poetry! My head began to tingle like it did when I read that book of magic in Dragonsreach. I tossed the book back, knocking over the basket. Underneath the basket was a hidden lockbox. A moment's work with the lockpicks, breaking two in the process, revealed a single purple amethyst. I kept the gem from Lydia's sight. She may be sworn to protect me, but growing up I learned thieves took all forms. I placed the basket back over the box and kept us moving. She shrugged and followed.

Around a bend I could hear a small river rushing passed. I heard something else, too. A beast-like grunting was coming from the other side and I spotted a hairy creature moving around beneath a rocky overhang.

"What in the Nines is that?" I asked Lydia.

She moved next to me, "You've never seen a troll before?"

"Troll? No. Sounds as ugly as it looks. Time to put it out of its misery."

I splashed across some rocks in the river to confront the animal. Lydia yelled something but I could not hear her over the water. The troll heard me coming and let out a roar. Before he finished I slammed my sword into his chest. It barely seemed to faze him. He reached back then knocked me first left then right with his long, powerful arms. I could not believe it could hit so hard. My ears were ringing inside my iron helmet. He wound up for another shot but I instinctively used my new power and Shouted at him.

"Fus!"

He reeled back, but not as much as I would have liked. I saw an arrow land in his throat and I took the opportunity to retreat into the water and head back towards Lydia. From the water I could actually see the gash I made with my sword begin to heal.

The enraged troll did not seem to like the water but it did go to the rocks I used to cross and came after us.

"How do we fight that thing?" I asked Lydia as she planted another arrow in its stomach. "It heals itself even as it fights."

"We just have to press the attack," she said, "Do more damage than it can heal and don't let it run off."

The troll approached and Lydia dropped her bow and unhooked her axe. I was not completely healed so I chugged one of my healing potions and tossed the bottle at it. Between my sword and her axe we were able to keep the beast at bay but not by much. Suddenly I saw arrows start to appear in the troll's hide, first two, then four. I took a chance to glance over and saw two Stormcloaks standing in the river shooting at it. With the four of us on him, the troll roared in defiance but then succumbed to his wounds and fell face first into the water.  
Luckily, Lydia and I suffered only minor wounds that quickly cleaned up in the water. I even learned a more effective way of using my gauntlets for protection. I went to the Stormcloaks to thank them for their assistance. They said we should go to Windhlem and join Ulfric in his fight. They walked off without waiting for a response. I let them go. I have my own war to fight.

On the other side of the river we inspected the troll's lair and found two dead Stormcloaks. Lydia found an iron warhammer which she seemed to prefer to the axe. I had no objections, I told her, as long as she did not lose the axe. I found some plant that was ringing and plucked it to stop the noise. I also found a book titled, Chimarvamidium. I had no idea what it was but I was not about to risk another headache. I asked Lydia to read it. She said it detailed working on heavy armor. Finally, something worth reading! I read the book as we moved on since she said we are almost to Iverstead where we could find the steps leading to the Greybeards.

We stopped at the inn to have lunch and so I could find out more about High Rothgar. Before I could say much, however, the innkeeper, Wilhelm, started talking about the barrow we passed on the way there and how it was haunted and ruining his business. I brushed off his superstitious stories and bought lunch for myself and Lydia. Afterwards we headed towards the bridge she said lead to the Greybeards. On the way, I heard another of those plants. Lydia said they were called ninroots and are quite valuable, for plants. I went to collect it and I noticed a man on the other side of the river talking to himself. I listened for a moment and shook my head because he reminded me of someone I once knew. I waved for Lydia to follow and went to talk to the man.

I found him inside his ruined home, talking about how his sister had gone and not come back. He called himself Narfi and was obviously very distraught, on the verge of panicking. I saw no evidence of anyone else there to calm him.

"Narfi's very sad," he said. "Narfi needs Reyda to say goodbye. Reyda. Reyda."

"We should probably get going, Thane," Lydia said, looking sadly at the disheveled man. "It will not stay light much longer."

"I think we should help him find his sister first."

Lydia stared at me for a second. "What?"

"Do you see anyone else coming to help him? Would you want us to leave him like this, yelling out for his sister?"

"Well, no, but... you want to help him?"

I squared my shoulders as best I could while keeping Narfi in sight. "When I come to rule, I want everyone to know that no detail is too small to escape my notice. If you let the little things go like a missing sibling, next thing they will try to usurp your throne right out from under you. Understand?"

"It makes sense, I suppose. But...you?"

"Stop saying that," I commanded. "Wilhelm says that barrow is haunted. I'd bet my sword if she's missing that whatever is going on in there has something to do with it. We'll look for her there first."

I turned to the troubled young man. "Do not worry, Narfi. We'll find Reyda for you. All right? Just wait here and rest?"

Narfi calmed down and began eating some bread at his table.

I pulled Lydia by her arm. "Let's go...and stop staring at me."

The barrow, Shroud Hearth Barrow, Wilhelm had called it, seemed much smaller than Bleak Falls. It should not take long to cipher out this mystery and find Reyda for poor Narfi. It must be small inside since there were desecrated coffin left out in the entrance. I pushed open the rusty doors and we cautiously climbed down a set of rickety spiral stairs. I saw one preserved corpse standing in a crypt and I got my sword ready and told Lydia to do the same with her hammer. The dead reminded me of the ones I had recently returned to the grave. These did not move, however, as I looked around. To our right a light appeared and a ghostly image resolved behind a barred gate.

"Leave this place," an eerie voice demanded, "Leave this place."

The ghost walked away and disappeared.

"That was a ghost, all right," Lydia said, looking a little scared.

"Ghosts are just another form of the dead," I said. "I killed the dead before, I'll kill this one. Reyda!"

Silence. "Let's keep looking."

I found a room with several levers and eventually figured out the pattern, getting nicked by a poison dart in the process. I felt ill for a moment but I bled the wound and the poison seeped out. We moved on and I found a room with a fire trap that would have cooked me in my armor had Lydia not clamped a hand to my shoulder in time. Woman's intuition, she claimed. Beyond it I opened a chest that I did not realize was rigged with a dart trap. I heard the snap of the line, though, and managed to dive out of the way in time. I looked back at Lydia. She shrugged. So much for intuition. I found a bit of gold for my trouble. We located another gate and beyond it we cornered the ghost. Immediately he attacked with a fire spell, casting a shield at the same time. I did not know ghosts could work real magic. I ducked to the side and Lydia rushed in with her steel shield in front of her and the Axe of Whitrun in her hand. I assumed there was not enough room for her hammer. The fire blasted against the shield even as Lydia advanced. I took the opportunity to circle around and climb a table beside him. At the last moment he saw me but it was too late. I leapt and came down on his head with my ice sword. Instantly he dropped his magic shield and fell back against the wall. The ghost turned into a normal flesh and blood man. Lydia moved in for the kill but I stepped in front of him and grasped the man's hair.

"Where's Reyda, mage-scum? What did you do with her?"

The mage recovered a little and said, "She's right here."

I felt coldness against my stomach then a wetness under my shirt. I looked down to see the hilt of a wicked dagger jutting from my armor. "Bastard," I hissed.

He managed a short laugh before I crushed his unprotected skull against the stone wall. I stood and Lydia saw the dagger.

"We should leave and find a healer," she said.

"No." I pulled the dagger out and quickly drank one of the bigger bottles of healing. I felt weak so I sat on the edge of the table.

"Reyda!" I got no answer.

Lydia put her axe away and switched to her warhammer which she then leaned on. "So tell me, Thane, why so adamant about helping this Narfi fellow? Do you know him?"

I sighed. I wanted to leave but between the wound healing and my desire for some more skooma, I was too drained. "I don't know him, gir...Lydia. But he reminds me of someone. I had an older brother, Tam, who worked at a mill before my family became influential. He suffered a blow to the head and was never quite all there after that. He had a girlfriend at the time, Varlata, and she was so sweet she stuck with him. My parents were too busy to care for him properly, my sister could not care less, and I was too young. Varlata disappeared one night and my brother went insane trying to find her. When we did, purely by accident, she had been the victim of a mage ritual. Tam ended up killing four wizards before meeting his end. I like to think if someone had been there to help him, he might not have died."

"I'm sorry, Thane...Ralos. That must be why you hate mages so."

"No, they just creep me out."

"Well, I see you truly cared for your brother. So why are you so..."

I waited for her to finish then suggested, "Charming?"

"No."

"Handsome?"

"No."

"Well-endowed?"

"An ass, if you must hear it. I'm sworn to protect you, not coddle you, so I'm just wondering why I have to deal with you the way you are, so insufferable."

I felt better now that the puncture in my stomach had healed. I stood to leave. "I'm the way I am because it's what people need. They don't need a soft-hearted, give free food to everyone, lets all live in peace ruler. They need one who is confident, sure of himself, and knows how best to use people to achieve what he wants. People respect power. It's kept me alive this long. We've wasted enough time here talking. I've healed sufficiently to walk, let's go. We have a woman to find."

I noticed a book on the table next to a satchel and a blue potion. The satchel did not have much but as I cautiously read the book it turned out to be a journal of the mage I just killed. I shook my head at the thief's deceptions and pocketed the journal along with the potion he had been using. We searched the barrow more thoroughly now that the 'ghost' was gone. Reyda did not turn up but I did find a long chamber similar to Bleak Falls with another of the circular door locks. I wished I still had the claw but it probably would not work on both. The mage, Wyndilius did not have one on him, so unless we find where he hid it, we were locked out. I decided to pay Wilhelm another visit to reveal what his ghost really was.

Wilhelm was shocked by the revelation, and a little embarrassed. For our silence and as a reward he offered a small, bluish item he had found near the barrow. I stared in amazement as I turned a sapphire claw around in my hand. This must be the key to the barrow.

"It is too fancy to leave lying around here," Wilhelm said, "I've just been using it for a backscratcher. Rakes the skin right off, it does. Feels great."

I looked at the claw differently and held it away from me by two fingers. I offered it to Lydia. "Here, why don't you carry it?"

Lydia grimaced but took it and put it in her pack. "I'm sworn to carry your burdens."

It was not very late so I ordered us a small dinner, intent on returning to the barrow. Lydia did not argue. She could tell I meant to resolve this, or perhaps she was eager to help Narfi now as well. She was doing well as a follower. Perhaps there would be a place for her in my court, as well as other, more horizontal, places.

The sun was near setting as I lead Lydia back into the barrow. We returned to the locked door and the claw worked the same as the other but in a different pattern. Once inside I called out for the woman. My voice echoed through the dark chambers.

"Perhaps we should be more cautious, Thane," Lydia suggested, "until we know more about where we are and what awaits."

"Fair enough. We don't want them doing anything rash if they know we are coming for them."

I lead us into an odd chamber with a type of alter in the middle. On a podium I found a book and a glance told me it was a spellbook of some kind, something about oakflesh. Sounded evil enough. I left it. The only way out seemed to be a locked gate. I quickly found the lever for it nearby. As the gate opened, so did the top of a crypt. A dried up draugr armed with an axe rushed me but Lydia was quicker and intercepted it. One blow to the skull and it collapsed in a heap. I acknowledged her skill with her hammer and we moved on. At the gate was a spiral staircase leading up. I took the lead but Lydia misstepped and fell through a water trap at the bottom. Her steel armor and weapons threatened to drag her down but she held on to the edge long enough for me to grab her forearm and pull her back up. She acknowledged my skill with my hands.

"You have no idea," I quipped and continued on up the stairs.

Skeletons seemed to have infested this barrow but we took them out easily, including five skeletal archers waiting for us in a pit. Unfortunately for them the pit floor was laced with oil and after a few exchanges of arrows, I sent one shaft to cut down a lamp from above them. All but one, who was coming up the stairs, burned up instantly. Lydia took out the last with her hunting bow. We gathered all their arrows, some coins, and continued on. I called out, softer this time, for Reyda, but still got no reply. I was worried we were already too late.

We narrowly avoided a spike door trap due to the darkness of the barrow. Beyond it I was forced to fight a very powerful draugr after stepping on a pressure plate to open a door. These dead seem to favor frost magic. He used it to try to force me back off the ledge. The fall might not have killed me but I did not wish to find out. Lydia laid into its back with her warhammer but it did not seem to do much damage. I Shouted at it, using my new knowledge of Unrelenting Force and the foul creature was knocked back. Its magic had drained my enegy and I quickly drank my last green bottle of stamina potion. It helped me enough to land two powerful swings which, together with Lydia's attacks, brought it to its knee then laid it out completely. Inside the room was another pressure plate but I was hesitant to touch it. With no other option I tapped it with my foot. Lydia noticed four parts of the wall move, revealing carved stones. I recalled the four stones outside the room. This must be the key to their puzzle. we memorized then matched the stones and a drawbridge fell.  
We went along the tunnel that eventually lead to a large room filled with coffins and was surrounded by water. Once we were inside, a gate fell behind us, trapping us in. Nothing happened at first but after we took a few steps, the coffins began to break open. First skeletons appeared and we took them down easily with our bows. Then another wave of undead appeared, this time draugr and slightly tougher but back to back, we crushed their attack. No sooner were those dispatched than more, stronger draugr appear. These took longer as they separated us, even forcing me to retreat into the water and up a side rampart to gain the high ground. One persistent draugr followed me until I hacked and Shouted it back onto the stone below where it broke apart. Lydia caught up to me just as one more coffin in the back of the room opened. Something laughed and stalked towards us. We began launching arrows at it until it leaned forward and actually Shouted at us. The force staggered us both and we silently agreed the time for bows was over. It wielded a two-handed greatsword with ease and skill and its bite reminded me of my sword, leaving a chill to the wound. We fought well together, however, and I delivered the final blow, leaving it bent backwards over a coffin. A door fell open at the back of the room. I took his sword and we headed for the opening.

We followed this to an enormous cavern. There was a treasure chest in front. This time I checked it first for a trap and find one. After disabling it, I found coin, gems, and some iron armor. On a nearby table I found a set of banded armor. It was heavy but did not seem as well put together as mine and not nearly as fashionable. I left it. Behind the chest, the cavern spread out and I saw another dragonwall, as I had come to think of them.

"Reyda!" I yelled.

No one answered.

"This can not be the whole place," I said. "Perhaps we missed a room?"

"We took our time, Thane. We missed nothing, I'm sure."

Anger took away my fatigue and I pressed on towards the wall. The words glowed as I stood before it and I saw the word 'Kaan' burn into my mind. I was not exactly sure what it meant but I felt it has something to do with animals. I would have to ask the Greybeards when I reached them. Off to the left of the wall I saw a coin pouch and a sword resting in a niche in the wall. I could not see a way to get to them so I left them for now. I wanted to find Reyda first. She must be here.

We left the room by the only other door. It lead to a hidden door. It opened and I saw the wizard, Wyndelius lying prone on the floor where we had left him. My curses were vehement enough to make Lydia put a hand on her weapon. For the first time I noticed my hands were trembling and it was not from the rage. I grabbed my last bottle of skooma and gulped it down.

"Let us leave this place," I said through clenched teeth.

Judging by the stars in the clear sky it was about midnight when we left the barrow. The air was cool against my fevered skin. I was tempted to check on Narfi but I stopped near the river instead to listen. I did not hear him talking but I could see a candle burning in the roofless home. I decided to wait until morning to see him.

I went to the inn and found Wilhelm behind the counter. I asked him about Narfi and surprisingly, he knew about Reyda missing. He probably had been wondering why Narfi was yelling so much. He said she had been gone too long and was probably dead because that was not like her. The last she was seen was heading east to search for ingredients by the river. I thanked him and bought a small dinner for Lydia and myself. We ate in silence. The only time I spoke was to say we would look along the river in the morning. If we did not find anything, we would leave and check on the way back. She agreed and we headed for the room I rented.

The room was small and the bed even smaller. Neither of us offered to take the floor. I did pay for the room, so I suggested we could both share the bed, being mature adults. She sighed and said she was too tired to argue.

"You're actually not such a pig as I first thought you were," Lydia said, "the way you care about Narfi and all."

"Absolutely I am not," I agreed, "Need some help with that armor?"

She slapped my hand away. "I've got it, thanks."

Once we are both down to our smallclothes, she extinguished the candle and we got comfortable beneath the wool blankets.

"Watch the hand, my Thane," Lydia warned in the dark.

"Oops, sorry," I said innocently, "I thought that was a pillow. Ouch!"

"That was no pillow, but that was a dagger."

"Point taken, literally. Good night, Lydia."

"Good night, Ralos."


	6. Chapter 6

Day Six

I woke to find Lydia finishing getting dressed. The room was still dark since there was no window, but my eyes were better adjusted than last night. She heard me stir, said good morning, and lit the candle. I was surprised that I did not feel as drained as I usually did in the morning, which was good since I remembered I was out of skooma.

"You are awake early," I said.

"Yes, well, I thought it best if I got up when I did. You must have quite the randy imagination when you dream."

I was perplexed at first, wondering how she would know what I had been dreaming, then remembered how close she had been while we slept. "Some things are beyond control." I said, smiling.

"Obviously," she said, one eyebrow raised.

I quickly adjusted the blanket.

"I'll go buy our breakfast while you get dressed and... relaxed."

A breakfast of chicken breast and applesauce awaited when I left the room. I thanked Wilhelm for the information about Reyda and we walked down to the river, stopping by the bridge. We did not find anything along the shore but my eye kept catching the glint of something underwater. I striped down to my smallclothes and waded in. The river was swift but not deep and my foot bumped against something sticking up out of the bottom. I reach down and grab hold. I pull out a leg bone from the water. I looked at Lydia but she had nothing to say. I could make out the whole skeleton now that I knew what to look for. It was partially covered in the muddy silt of the river bottom. The glint I saw was a shiny letter 'R' on a satchel. I grabbed the bag and went back to shore.

I looked inside and found a collection of ingredients, a few coins, and a necklace.

"This must be her's," I said, "Narfi's going to be crushed."

"At least he will know what happened," Lydia said. "It's strange how nothing is left but bones already. She has not been gone that long."

"Mage work," I spat. "Probably that Wyndelius. Who knows what he did in there? Let's go see Narfi and get out of here."

I found the young man already up and feeding a rabbit bits of bread. The rabbit scampered away when we approached.

"Narfi," I said, "I found Reyda."

Narfi's eyes lit up. "You saw Reyda? Did you tell her Narfi cries? Where is she?"

"I'm sorry, Narfi," I said, "Reyda is dead. We do not know how. It was probably an accident by the river. Here is her satchel and necklace, though."

"No, no, no. I never got to say good-bye to Reyda. Now Narfi's all alone. At least Narfi has her necklace, thanks to you."

In appreciation, Narfi gave me some of the ingredients she had been collecting. I took them and promised to see him again. We left him to his grief.

I was hoping there was a trader of some sort in Iverstead but no such luck. I would have liked to sell some of the extra stuff we had collected but I guessed it would have to wait. We headed to the other bridge then stopped to talk to two men standing there.

One of the men, Klimmek, said he regularly made the trip up the seven thousand steps, but lately his legs had been bothering him.

"Wait," I said, "Seven thousand steps? No one said anything about seven thousand steps."

"Do you want to go or not?" Lydia asked.

"You are making the journey?" Klimmek asked me.

"Yes, I suppose I am," I said grudgingly.

"Could I impose a favor, then, my friend. They are waiting for some supplies but I'm not sure I could make it."

"Sorry to hear that," I said, still a little upset over Narfi, I supposed. "Are you ready, Lydia?"

"Give me the supplies," she told the weary man. "I am a pack person, after all."

He handed her the supplies and she began walking quickly across the bridge without me.

I sighed. "Do women ever forget anything you say to them?"

The two men laughed uproariously, for whatever reason, and walked away. Confused, I shook my head and jogged after my housecarl.

Not far from the bridge I talked with a man named Barknar reading a plaque set in a small alter. He warned of wolves ahead. Wolves I did not mind, as long as there were no more of those trolls. Lydia suggested I read the plaques, there were ten of them as we went, to learn more of the legend of the Dragonborn. They were short, so I did not balk at the idea. The climb was tedious so we took it slow but it is not without its perils. A large wolf, white as the snow it hid in, attacked us on a narrow section of the path. After a vicious bite to my arm, I dove behind a boulder for cover to drink a potion. I did not realize the mountain ended where the boulder did and I nearly fell to my death. After we dispatched the wolf, I met another hunter named Karita. She was too hot to be in so cold a climate. I was hoping she might join us. Three could be quite nice company in the cold. She did not even care to talk but she did warn us of wolves. Just after we left her, however, I wished it had been wolves that we met. Through a narrow crevasse, a troll, larger than the one by the river, and also white as snow, attacked us. I tried my best but my skills with the sword were not enough to best the beast. My sword seemed dull against its tough hide. Even with Lydia's hammer swinging expertly, I was forced to conclude it best we made a run for it. Lydia managed to sweep its legs as I Shouted and the ugly monster fell backwards, still alive and growing angrier. We managed to outrun it and after another hour or so, we finally spotted the Greybeard's keep, High Rothgar. We rested as I read the last tablet. After the final word, a strange sense of peace settled over the area. Even my growing hunger for skooma seemed to ease. Lydia deposited the supplies in the offer chest at the bottom of the keep's stairs and we hastened to get out of the cold.

The inside of High Rothgar was dark with little in the way of decoration. I suppose it's what I should have expected with the townspeople often referring to them as monks. But the air inside was warm and the wind was no longer howling in my ears so I did not complain. We were barely through the doors when I noticed a tall man in a dark grey robe walking towards us. I imagined they had an excellent view from their towers of everything that moved on the mountain.

The old man introduced himself as Arngeir and asked why I had come.

"My name is Ralos Ravenclaw," I announced. "I heard your summons and Jarl Balgruuf told me you Greybeards are masters of these Shouts."

"Thu'um. If you are to be the Dragonborn, you should know the language."

"I know the language just fine, though I don't know how I know. Why do you call me that? I'm obviously not a dragon and I was not spawned of a dragon, though my sister does look a bit like one. So how am I a Dragonborn."

Arngeir went on to tell me how the Dragonborn came to be and that I must share the same bloodline as Akatosh. He said I have the blood and soul of a dragon but I was trapped in human form. The Shouts were my way of battling Dov, or other dragons. Personally I've found they work fine against other beings as well, though I have not had the chance to try my Shout on a dragon. As he spoke, three other of the Greybeards appeared and stood in a circle in the middle of the room.

"I was hoping not to battle dragons so much as bring them to yield before me," I said to Arngeir. "Their presence on the battlefield will ensure my dominance over all of Tamriel. Would you know who their leader is? Do they even have one, or are they just running wild and loose like trolls?"

Arngeir was speechless for a moment. "You wish them to yield? To you? Lofty goals for someone who was forced to run from an ice troll?"

"You saw that, huh? He got the jump on us. Mostly I ran from his troll-stench before it seeped into my clothes. I've already killed a dragon, you know."

The Greybeard was shocked. "By yourself?"

"Well, no, I may have had some help. But I did deliver the final blow that released his soul and brought me here to you."

Arngeir smiled and nodded, "Be that as it may, if you wish to control the dragons, as much as possible anyway, you will need to defeat Alduin, the world eater. Your only chance to do that is to master your Thu'um and learn all that you can. Until then, your plans for domination will have to wait."

"Fine, old man, let's get started then."

Arngeir looked around the room at his fellow monks then leaned forward to whisper in my ear. "Listen well, whelp. My name is Arngeir. Call me old man again and the only shouting you'll be doing will be as you plummet to your death from the Throat of the World. Understand, Dovahkiin?"

Normally I would have unleashed the fury of my blade upon being spoken to so, but there was an underlying roar in his voice, more felt than heard that is difficult to relate in a story. It made my bowels clench more than I care to admit. I let the indiscretion pass to begin my training.

Lydia grew bored waiting and decided to rest on one of the stone benches. Those supplies had obviously been heavier than she would admit.

Another of the Greybeards, Einarth, showed me another word that if I said it along with Fus, would increase the Shout's power. There were three words for every Shout, each more powerful than the last. I learned the word as he burned the dragon script into the stone floor then granted me his knowledge of the power. I tested it out and could barely contain my joy. I looked over at Lydia who was sitting up looking irritated.

"What's the problem?" I asked her. "This Shout is going to great in battle."

"How am I supposed to rest with all this shouting going on?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I'll wait to learn my dragon powers until after your beauty nap. I see how necessary it is."

Arngeir stepped forward, perhaps using some special power to sense the imminent blow up about to happen. "Perhaps we should take the moment to teach you a completely new shout. Master Borri will show you the Shout for Wold, or Whirlwind, outside in the courtyard."

"Fine," I said, "I guess my pack person doesn't need bags under her eyes as well."

Arngeir quickly spun me around towards another set of doors. I thought I saw Lydia get up to follow but instead she sat back down. Why she was gripping her hammer, I had no idea.

Out in the courtyard, the wind was not as bad, though it was still cold. Borri displayed the word for the new Shout on the snow. I learned it before it melted away. I was then instructed to demonstrate how I was able to apply what I had just learned, after it was shown to me once. The Greybeard sped forward through a gate at an incredible speed. I immediately began wondering how many of these wonderful shouts there were? I tried it myself. I shouted, "Wold" and it was hard to tell if I ran faster or if time actually slowed down because I did not feel the rush of the air as I passed. I was just suddenly where I wanted to be.

Arngeir was justifiably astounded at my skill. I told him I thought it was this easy for everyone since I barely broke a sweat. He admitted it was not and that I truly had a gift from the gods.

I said, "I came here to learn something I didn't know."

Arngeir's wrinkled face twitched but he got it under control then said he had one more task for me to complete my training.

"You must go to Ustengrav near Morthal and retrieve the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. Return it to us and you will prove you are indeed the Dragonborn. Until then, we are done here."

The Greybeard marked it for me on my map. He and the others left me and returned to their solitary business. I was excited about the new Shouts but annoyed that I was being sent on this time consuming task. I wondered if I could just buy a horn in Whiterun and tell them it was the one? Since I did not know what it looked like, I dropped the idea. I went to fetch Lydia so we could leave.

Lydia had had time for a short nap so she was in better spirits when we left. I dreaded going back down all those steps, especially going past the troll again, but there was only one way down. Surprisingly, the calm I felt when we arrived was still with me and it must have been contagious because nothing else bothered us all the way down, not even the troll. I had not realized how boring the walk was until I had nothing to do but walk.

We reached Iverstead near dinner time and as luck would have it we ran into Klimmek right outside the inn. He paid Lydia five hundred septims for her troubles. When he left she actually gave me half.

"You earned it, I suppose, between the wolves and the troll," she said. "But this time I'm paying for the room and you're sleeping on the floor."

I was about to argue but thought better of it. She did not have to give me any of the money.

"And," she added as we headed for the inn to eat, "if you can keep from making a pig of yourself through dinner, perhaps you can help me with my armor."

She went inside, leaving me there dumbfounded. Women. "How much of a pig?" I asked as I followed her in.


	7. Chapter 7

Day Seven

The next morning after a hearty breakfast of salted horker loaf and apple pie, we checked over my map to figure out the best route. My back was sore from some uneven floorboards but my mind kept returning to helping Lydia with her armor. Her steel armor kept her skin surprisingly supple, though not completely scar free. I traced the more interesting scars with my fingers as she told me of their origins. That was as far as I got, however, before she extinguished the candle and called it a night. I fully expected to be called into the bed but if she did, it was after I fell asleep.

Apparently the quickest route was back the way we had come but I was in no mood to go hiking through the mountains again. There was another route that would take us down and around the mountain then eventually back towards Whiterun which was on the way. I decided we would take that one since downhill sounded much easier and the longer route may give me more opportunities to try out my new knowledge of Shouts. Of course, one of those wagons like I saw outside of Whiterun at the stables would have been nice too. I could have slept all the way. Ah, well.

As was my luck, we encountered not a single hostile thing. The calm feeling I had yesterday was still within me. I wondered if everything else was feeling it too. I was able to walk right up to a fox and it did not even try to escape. At the end of the road, we came to an expanse of the river that was only passable by crossing a fallen tree over a gorge. It looked easy enough, until I saw a bandit already standing halfway across it. We approached and he obviously was intent on not letting us cross. Finally, a challenge!

Lydia stayed on the solid ground and strung her hunting bow. The bandit had a shield but Lydia was uncontested and can take her time aiming. I, on the other hand, did not feel like waiting so I stepped onto the tree and advanced on him. The small branches of the tree proved the real test because they were easy to overlook and quick to turn your ankle. The bandit saw my difficulty and laughed then started banging his sword against his shied which already had two arrows stuck in it.

Once I was close enough, he expected me to chop down on him with all my strength so he raised his shield and kept his sword ready for a low jab. Instead I inhaled deeply and unleashed by newly powered Shout at him. He was rocked backwards in a cloud of leaves and sticks. He fell on one arm and started coughing from the dust. I would have sworn the force would have blown him clear of the bridge. Lydia stuck an arrow into his thigh. I rushed forward and brought my ancient sword down on him. He raised his shield which absorbed most of it. He scrambled to stand and managed a swipe at me with his sword. It took a bite out of my armor and and opened a small cut on my arm. It was not enough to slow me and I responded with another powerful cut. He staggered again but he did not fall, that is not until Lydia punched an arrow clean through his throat. He dropped his sword and shield before pitching head first into the gorge. I lost sight of his body in the rising mist. I cleaned my sword on some moss and waited on the other side for Lydia.

We stopped outside of a tomb to rest on the bench and I cleaned out the cut on my arm. It was worse than I had thought but Lydia sewed it up to conserve the healing potions. We ate some apples and continued on down the trail. Near the base of the mountain we turned to follow the river towards Whiterun and suddenly my stomach began to cramp and my legs threatened to give out on me. At first I thought it is the apples we ate but Lydia was fine. Then I got the craving, more in my mind than my body, but no less demanding.

And I was out of skooma.

Lydia looked at me strangely but I sat down on the ground and told her I had a rock in my boot. I pretended there was a knot in the laces as I waited for the worst of the pangs to pass. After they did, I rolled up unto my knees then stood up, stretching the cramps out of my abdomen. I reached into my pack and pulled out a bottle of mead. I drank it all right there and it seemed to help.  
"Ready, Princess Thane?" Lydia asked.

I belched loud enough to send a nearby hawk racing from its roast. "Now I am."

"Such a pig."

The road stayed level for only a short time then began heading uphill again. Around a bend I saw a tower then a minute later realized it was two towers spanning the river on high. I did not see anyone manning them until I got to the nearest tower's base. An elven woman in fur armor was stirring something in a pot. She stopped as soon as she saw us coming and blocked the road.

"This is a toll road," she said, "Pay me two hundred septims and you may pass."

I was about to answer her but the mead must have been slowing my reflexes because Lydia spoke first.

"Step aside, Elf. Make way for the Thane of Whiterun."

"The Thane? Why didn't you say he was such an important man? In that case, give me four hundred."

"Listen, thief," I said, "the only thing you'll get from me is a swift death, unless you let us pass. Now back off."

"If that is what you wish, then you will die!"

The elf rushed at me with a steel axe. I fumbled for my sword but Lydia was quicker and engaged her first with her own axe. They exchanged blows, each blocking the others'. Lydia countered with a back swing which caught the elf on the shoulder. I could see the chilling effects of the Axe of Whiterun across the surface of the elf's skin. By then I had unsheathed my sword and I plunged the weapon through the bandit's chest as she turned to face me. The point tented the back of her armor.

The battle over, Lydia turned to me. "Are you sure you're all right? I was being facetious before but you are sweating like a pig."

I dragged my sword across the bandit's fur armor to clean it. "Just living up to my reputation."

A voice suddenly called down from the tower. "You'll die for that!"

I looked up and saw an archer aiming at us from the top of the tower. A moment later an arrow hissed past my head and bounced off the rocks behind me. I picked it up for myself and switched from my sword to my bow. Lydia started to get her bow out then yelled at me. "There are more coming across the bridge. Let us take the fight to them."

The Housecarl switched to her warhammer and ran into the tower. I followed her in, wiping sweat from my hands as I switched back to my sword.

Inside the door of the tower I spotted two red bottles of healing potion on a small bookshelf. I snatched them up and raced to the stairs to catch up with Lydia. The tower opened to a narrow walkway leading up to another part of the tower and the bridge itself. I found Lydia already on the bridge and three bandits crowding near the middle trying to get at her. I unslung my bow and started driving steel arrows into their midst, not caring which bandit I hit.

Suddenly an arrow clinked against the tower wall beside me. I knew none of the bandits on the bridge shot it so I quickly looked around. Another arrow hit me in the foot and I saw a figure moving on the other side of the river. I pulled out the arrow from my foot which had barely pierced my iron boot and tossed the cracked shaft away. Lydia had the bandits bottled up for the moment so I focused my aim on the archer. Aiming just above his head, I tested my range and hoped I did not start shaking again. My first shot slipped from my fingers before I wanted and plopped into the river. My next three shots, however, hit home and he fell to his knee. One more arrow finished him.

I looked up for Lydia and found them still battling on the bridge, but closer now. I launched an arrow into the crowd of bandits again and this time one fell over the side, screaming. The final two managed to push Lydia back into the tower so I switched to my sword and ran up the ramp to help. She was holding them off with wide sweeps of her hammer but I could tell she was tiring. One bandit was a redguard with a rusty sword and dirty fur armor but the other was decked out in shiny steel armor including a matching helmet. It was not until I heard her barking orders that I realized it was a woman. They did not see me approach so I took out the redguard with a stab through his back. He fell to his knees and I kicked him off my sword, nearly stumbling as my balance failed me for a second. The brief delay, however, allowed the last bandit a window of opportunity which she took. She charged in screaming and I twisted out of the way. Her sword gashed my thigh open. I regained my balance enough to get my guard up to block her next swing which was aimed for my neck. Still guarding, I bashed my iron gauntlets into the open space of her helmet. She stumbled and I returned her damage to her with a powerful slash to her leg. Before she could recover, Lydia ended her life by turning the bandit's helmet from an outie to an innie with her warhammer.

We spent the next few minutes sitting at a table to catch our breath. I handed one of the healing potions I found to Lydia. She refused at first but I pointed out all the bruises on her and shoved it back in her hand. I drank the other one and watched as the jagged cut on my leg started to mend. It stopped just short of sealing completely so I merely bandaged it with strips of clothes I made from a cowl I found in a nearby wardrobe.

"Let's go see if these bandits had anything valuable on them," I suggested, "I think I've almost got enough to buy that house in Whiterun the jarl mentioned. I need someplace to store my money and weapons while I build my new following."

What I did not tell her was that the only thing I hoped to find there was a bottle of skooma.

Lydia agreed and we left the tower to check the bandit I shot on the other side first and to see if they had anything in the other tower. Just as we stepped out of the tower, Lydia was struck in the back by an arrow. She grunted from the force of the shot but did not fall down. Good thing she drank that potion to heal a bit. We looked up to see another bandit taking aim at us from on top of this tower. We headed back inside and I managed to pull the arrow from her armor. It had not gone far, but the point nicked the bone at the base of her neck. I gave her another strip of cloth to hold against it while I took care of this last one.

I followed the stairs up through the dilapidated tower. He was waiting for me but his shot missed as I dodged to the side, anticipating his aim. He did not get another chance. From the stairs, my sword swept his feet out from under him and my follow up nearly cut him in half, the blade getting caught in the bones of his spine. I wrenched it loose then my head became light and the tower spun beneath me. I lost my grip on my sword and it clattered back down the stairs. I doubled over in pain as my stomach seized into a tight, excruciating ball of fire. A moment later, Lydia yelled from below.

"Are you all right, Thane?"

"I'm fine," I managed to call back, then fought for breath.

"You dropped your sword."

"I'll be right down...just checking his pockets...for coin."

I struggled to control my breathing and waited for my vision to clear. The worst of the pain subsided but I was still sore and it hurt to straighten completely. I took my time going back down.

At the bottom, Lydia handed me my sword and I sheathed it to my back.

"What happened?" she asked, "You look ill. Have you been poisoned?"

"No, he got in a lucky kick. Landed right in my stomach. He died in a pool of my own vomit. Now let's clear these towers of anything worth taking and get to Whiterun. I could use a decent lunch and perhaps a nap."

It had never bothered me before, but I did not care for lying, not to Lydia. Perhaps because we had come to trust each other with our lives. I could not speak for her, but that was something new to me. I will admit, there was more to this Housecarl than being a mere servant and follower. I would need someone to rely on when I come to power and my back was exposed to more knives than I had eyes. I found the thought of Lydia and danger together made my stomach hurt all over again.

The towers contained mostly foodstuffs but they also yielded some coin, two unique bows, and a book titled, The Black Arrow, Part Two. Reading the book gave me an idea of how better to aim my bow, and I was eager to try it with the first bow I found on the top perch of the further tower. The bow was green but with a fiery glow to it. Lydia said it looked orcish in design and material. I nocked an arrow to it and it seemed to charge the arrow with a burning hot energy. I sent the arrow into a tree and the tree caught fire, burning for quite a while. I decided to swap it for my hunting bow. Together with my sword of frost I had a fire and ice attack to kill these bandits with. Lydia also found an odd bow inside of a locked chest. It was a well lacquered Imperial bow that has a greenish aura to it. When she fired an arrow into the wall, nothing special happens. Perhaps it had a special property that only worked on the living. We would have to wait and see. I doubted by the way things had been going that the wait would be long.

We loaded up as much as we could comfortably carry, though mine was considerably less than usual. I blamed the kick to my stomach and Lydia believed it. We arrived in Whiterun and I was seriously disappointed that the Khajiit caravan had not returned. That would have been perfect.

I stopped at Adrienne's and Belathor's and managed to sell most of what we had. I noticed Lydia's gaze linger on one thing in particular, a silver ring with a green gem. I gave it to her, saying we should always have extra loot on us just in case. Whether she saw though my ploy or not she did not let on. She smiled and put it on.

I stopped in at Arcadia's and bought some healing potions. She had no skooma. In fact, I tried every vendor out in the market area and no one had any. I did not want to come right out and ask if they knew where I can get some, since everyone seemed taken aback that I even mentioned the stuff. My sense of panic was rising so it was at least worth a try.

I was too restless to sleep yet so I talked Lydia into going to Riverwood to sell the rest of our goods. I also suspected that Lucan might have some skooma somewhere, since he was the target of thieves, or maybe he would know where I could get some if I could get him alone. It turned out to be a fruitless trip except for a few more coins, though it did put me over the amount needed to buy Breezehome in Whiterun. My exhaustion got the better of me so we stopped at the inn for dinner. I managed to eat some sort of meat stew before passing out.


	8. Day Eight Part One

Day Eight Part One

I awoke drenched in sweat. I tried to get up but my abdomen protested as if I was nailed in place. I collapsed back into the bed.

"That bandit must have kicked you in some vital place," Lydia said from a chair next to the bed. "You've been moaning in your sleep since Orgnar dragged you in here."

She got up and I noticed she carried out a bowl and a rag. She returned with a tankard of cold water and made me drink. I did and I felt better even as the liquid eased my burning throat.

"Did you stay with me all night?"

"Someone had to, and I am sworn to protect, remember. I alternated between moping your feverish head and stuffing the rag in your mouth to silence your cries. You must see the healers in Whiterun. I hear the priestess of Kynareth can work wonders."

I managed to sit up with her help. "No healer can help me. I'll be fine. It's just something I need to deal with. Thank you for staying with me."

"You're welcome, Thane. So, if you won't see a healer, what are your plans for the day?"

I struggled to stand but pushed her hand away. "Nothing has changed. We're still going to Ustengrav after a quick stop in Whiterun to see about a house."

"You can't be serious?" Lydia said. "You can barely stand."

"You'll find I'm full of surprises, girl. Your role as nursemaid is no longer needed. Food and drink, that's what I need now."

Lydia straightened and said, "Fine." She left the room.

Something told me everything was not fine, but who understood the minds of women?

We had a quick, silent breakfast of chicken breasts and green apples. I drank two meads and the pressure in my head lessened. I figured a slow walk in the crisp air back to Whiterun would be the best thing for me. The air was refreshing and we even began joking about sending some Acolytes of Dibella to the Greybeards to see what would happen.

We came around the first bend along the river and I spied an Argonian lurking next to a boulder. He saw me as well and crouched. Despite Lydia and I both being obviously armed, he unsheathed a steel sword and dagger and stalked towards me purposefully.

The Argonian sprinted the last few yards then spun lightly on his feet, his thick tail forcing me to back up, then followed through with first his dagger then his sword. His dagger glanced off my greatsword, sending sparks into the air. It moved my weapon just enough, however, for his follow up sword strike to bite deep into my leg.

Lydia, who was behind me, circled around for a clearer shot with her bow, but the thief kept moving as well. She finally managed to land a hit and the Argonian visibly slowed, a green aura briefly appearing around him. I tried a power swing but his quick hands lashed out with the dagger and my momentum was broken, as were several straps from my armor. He must have been spinning a lot because it was difficult to focus my eyes and land a decent blow. He cut me again but I also landed a nice slash across his arm then pressed the attack, keeping my swings short and precise. Another arrow appeared, this time in the Argonian's head. He attacked quicker, probably out of desperation. I blocked but I could not stop his smaller, quicker weapons completely and they drained my strength even more. I used my greater weight to pummel his face with the butt of my sword and he finally staggered back in the dirt. I was nearly out of breath and energy but I mustered enough of both to finally cut him down for good. His breath hissed from his throat then was silent.

I fell down next to him, grasping my leg. Lydia knelt beside me.

"How bad is it?" she asked.

"Should I be able to see blood pumping out?"

Lydia looked around frantically, "Where's your pack?"

"It was cut loose back there." I could say no more so great was the pain. The air itself seemed to be eating away at my leg. I clamped both hands over the wound and tried with my last bit of consciousness to will it closed. All of a sudden my hands began to glow a warm orange and I could almost feel something leaving my mind and surging through my hands to my leg. I wanted to stop but the pain in my leg had disappeared and I could breathe easier. The glow finally vanished as the flow from my mind ceased on its own. I moved my hands to inspect the deep wound. All that was left was the blood on my hands.

"What in the Nines just happened?" I said. I looked to Lydia for an answer. "I am no soul-forsaken mage!"

Lydia knelt beside me again and looked at my leg. "You used your healing magic. Nicely done, too. Better than I usually do."

I stared at her bewildered. "Why are you so calm? I just used magic and I don't even how I did it."

Lydia sat back, her foot tucked underneath her. "Everyone can do basic healing magic. You didn't know? That explains why you never used it during or after a battle. I assumed you disliked mages so much that you refused to use magic like they do."

I tried to calm myself. "My family was... simple, though prosperous. We worked, we traded, we farmed a bit. Magic was never needed and my parents did not engage it. I believe my father feared it and, as it turned out with my brother, rightly so. Wait, you mean you know magic, too?"

"I've learned to heal myself, but only after I've taken a lot of damage do I use it. I just back away from the fight, do some quick healing, then stagger back for more. So how did it feel?"

"Odd, like my brain was draining into my hands, then it stopped. I'm still not sure how I did it. Or if I want to."

Lydia stood and offered me her hand to help me stand. I tested my leg once I was up. It felt fine, though the healed wound tingled a bit.

"It just takes practice. After a while you'll be able to fight and heal yourself at the same time. Look, think of it this way. You won't have to buy so many healing potions. They are pretty expensive."

"I would save a lot of septims. I could put that money towards strengthening my empire. I imagine dragon saddles would be pretty expensive."

Lydia wiggled her fingers in front of me. "And you could buy more pretty rings and such to beautify your personal Housecarl to make the other jarls jealous."  
I laughed at her. "What? You're pretty enough."

"Really? You think I'm pretty?"

Uh oh. "What? That silver ring was free, so I just let you have it. I meant I won't be giving you anything else."

"Because you think I'm already pretty?" She actually smiled and batted her eyelashes at me.

"Sure, whatever. Hey what's up with this Argonian? His tail is still moving."  
I used my skillful diversion to rummage through the thief's belongings and take what I wanted. Besides his quality weapon, I found an amethyst, a couple hundred septims, and a note. Reading the note sent a chill down my back. This was no road robber. He was an assassin hired by the Dark Brotherhood and someone named Astrid. The note named me personally. I handed it to Lydia.

She read it and whistled. "Seems you've succeeded in making a name for yourself. In fact, here it is, right after 'kill by any means necessary'. Congratulations. Someone sees you as a threat."

"Well, they'll need more than a single lizardman with a sword to take me out," I said as I pushed the assassin off the road with my foot. I felt a sharp pain in my stomach and realized I still had a craving that was growing. I had hoped the healing I did took care of it but I had only been distracted. "Let's hurry to Whiterun. I have some business to conduct with Avenicci."

I found Avenicci in Dragonsreach in a large training area. He was speaking with a huge brute by the dining table. Apparently the brute was a weapon in human form and wished people to unsheath him. Pass.

I pulled Avenicci aside and reminded him the jarl said that I was able to buy property in Whiterun. He grudgingly recalled something to that effect, then asked me if I was ill. He suggested I see the priestess of Kynareth. I said I was fine then told him I was interested in the dwelling called Breezehome next to the blacksmith. I also pointed out that as Thane I should get the lowest price possible. Also, the price should be lowered considering it is next to a noisy blacksmith that will be banging and hissing all day and night at the forge. Through grated teeth he told me the price was set by the jarl at five thousand. No haggling allowed. I decided to buy it anyway and after checking out the booklet that came with it, asked him to set it up with a living and dining room. He said the preparations would be ready later this afternoon.

Before I left, I informed him of the thief I had disposed of on the road, leaving out the assassin part. He thanked us for ridding Whiterun of such vermin then mentioned a bounty placed on some bandits by the jarl. Having spent most of my coin on the house, I agreed to look into it. He marked the location on my map and called it Halted Stream Camp. Our business concluded, Lydia and I had lunch at the Bannered Mare then headed to Breezehome to see if it was ready.

Avenicci's men worked fast. The house was ready and they had even gotten a strong fire going in the living room to warm the place. I made a quick inspection. There was definitely more room for improvement but I would need more coin for that. Perhaps I would go after that bounty. I used the weapon rack near the door to store my Axe of Whiterun then placed the couple of books I had kept on smithing and archery on the bookcase next to that.

By now I was feeling weak and sweating again and not from the fire. I took a seat near the fire and Lydia sat in the chair next to me. I drank half a bottle of mead and waited for the pain to ease. I had tried the healing again while I was alone upstairs but I could not get it to work again, either that or it had no effect on my intense cravings. I needed to find a healer if I wanted to investigate this healing magic further.

"Now that I've got a house to care for," I said to Lydia out of the blue, "I think you should stay here in town and look after it. Keep it clean, keep it stocked, stuff like that."

Lydia sipped at her bottle of mead as if pretending not to hear me.

"So what do you think?" I asked, "Is that something you can handle?"

"What are you doing?" she asked finally.

"What do you mean? You're a housecarl. Shouldn't you take care of the house, then?"

"And what will you be doing?"

"Well, I've got this bounty for bandits to take care of."

"Bandits? Bandits that have caught the jarl's attention and you're going to go after them alone? In your condition?" She laughed and finished her mead.

"I'm fine, I can do it by mysel..."

My chair suddenly tipped over backwards. I laid sprawled on my back and I heard a bottle smash. I felt Lydia land on top of me. The air was knocked out of me, then I felt something sharp at my throat.

"What are you doing?" I gasped, my chest barely able to move.

"I'm about to kill you with a broken bottle. I'm a woman, half drunk on mead, and I don't want to hurt you, and look what I was able to do. Now imagine I was a gang of four or five desperate bandits, armed with swords and bows and magic, and I want nothing more than to see you dead, or worse. If I let you leave here alone, you'll be killed by the end of the day and I will have failed," she stood and allowed me to breathe. "And I do not intend to fail."

Lydia sat back down and began drinking another mead. I picked myself up, avoiding the pieces of glass on the floor. I set the chair right again and sat back down. I gripped the arms of the chair to hide my shaking hands.

"You could have just said, 'No, I'm coming with you'," I told her.

"Would you have listened?"

"I might have. Possibly. That's not the point."

"That's exactly my point. You only listen when you have to, Thane."

"All right, fine," I said. I stood so she could see me. "Then you listen. I don't care what your job mandates as far as protecting me. I know destiny is on my side and I will prevail over this land. But if by some divine intervention I should fall, I order you to give up your duty to me and return, alive, to Whiterun. You're too valuable to lose over a corpse."

"Fine. But I'll let you in on some information. Do you know why Jarl Balgruuf assigned me to you? He said you and I would get along because we are so much alike. I see what he means. So tell me, Thane. If I were to fall, would you leave me and return to Whiterun to continue your quest?"

I straightened as best I could, then looked at Lydia. I snorted and looked away. "Absolutely."

Lydia put down her bottle and headed for the door. "Well then, let's hope we won't have to find out anytime soon. I guess we're not as alike as I thought. I'll be at the gate when you're ready to leave, Thane."

I did not make her wait long. We started out but right away she showed me a shortcut up a ramp towards the lookout towers. At the top of the ramp she hopped over the wall. I thought she was crazy until I saw she is standing almost level with the wall. I looked over and the ground was only a few feet down.

"I know what camp the bounty is referring to," Lydia said, "It's been deserted for years but I guess someone has moved back in. If we hug perimeter of the walls, we'll come right to it."

I followed Lydia until she held up her hand to stop me. She pointed down at a rocky overhang, almost a cave.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I thought I heard a horse, so I slowed down and I spotted the horse. Look over there. Bandits. Three of them."

"They're not the ones we're looking for?"

"No, that camp is farther up. With all the crates and barrels, I'm assuming these guys are black market."

I grabbed my sword my from back. "Sounds like a job for the Thane of Whiterun."

"You're the boss," she responded and strung her bow for the attack.

I took one step toward the cave and I noticed a man running towards me from the side. I thought I was spotted and prepared to fight but the man started talking to me instead.

"You there," he said, "I need you to hold something for me." He handed me a leather helmet.

"Keep it down, skeever-brain," I said to him. "You'll give us away to those bandits. And take back your stupid helmet."

"Just hold on to it. If you tell anyone where I went, you're a dead man."

Lydia moved to correct his language but he ran off to a small hillock.

I looked over at the cave. One of the bandits seemed to be edging closer, but I did not think he saw us. I decided to go a little further around when another man ran up to us.

"Honestly," I said, "We're not even near a road."

The man was a hunter, judging by his leather armor and bow.

"Did you see a man run this way?" he asked, brandishing a sword, "He stole something from me and I mean to get it back."

"A man nearly ran into us," I said, "He went that way."

The hunter stalked off in the direction I pointed. "You won't get away this time, thief."

I jogged after the hunter. A thief was a thief and needed to be dealt with. We found him cowering behind a rock. He never saw us. The hunter shot two arrows into the man's back. The man stood and advanced on me but I guess I had more pent up anger than I thought. With one blow I crushed his skull then made sure of the job with two more slashes to his head.

The hunter turned away, "Well done."

Lydia looked over the bloody carnage. "Looks more raw to me."

The rage felt good and seemed to have eased my aching neck, plus the hunter never bothered to look for the helmet. Lost and found was not part of a Thane's job. "Let's get those cave dwellers before they flee."

I started to sneak towards the bandits, trying to use the hilly land for cover but one of them must have heard or seen the commotion caused by the fugitive because he was standing on the edge of their camp with his bow in his hand. I grabbed my own bow. The heat of the bow surprised me at first then I remembered its special properties. Partially hidden, I let an arrow fly and it struck the bandit in the chest, instantly setting him on fire. To his credit, the bandit ignored the flames and ran after us. I led him in the direction of the departing hunter. If he was a worthy citizen, he could repay his debt to me now.  
Sure enough, the bandit went down quickly as the hunter, Lydia, and myself filled his miserable frame with arrows. I was even more impressed when the hunter followed Lydia towards the cave. He must have been fed up with all the thieves as well. I caught up quickly, and together we made short work of the remaining two bandits. I allowed him to join us in reaping the spoils of the bandits but he only seemed interested in the food.

My heart stopped for a moment. I saw four beautiful bottles of skooma lying in a crate. I stepped towards them but the hunter must have seen them as well and reached them first.

"Whoa-ho, what have we here?" he said.

Before his hands could grab them, I leapt forward and pushed the edge of my steel dagger against his neck. He was caught by surprise and nearly fell over.

"You'll want to leave those alone, citizen," I said, "As Thane of Whiterun, I'm confiscating these in the name of the jarl."

"Thane? I had no idea... I was just going to throw them in the fire there. But I'll let you do it."

"Oh, eh, the jarl will want to know about such practices. I'll bring these to him as proof. Now move along, move along."

The hunter grabbed a couple bottles of ale and a wedge of cheese and sat down at the table. I pocketed the little purple bottles. I looked for Lydia. She was standing next to a horse used for their carriage. She was petting its nose and feeding it a carrot. I found a locked chest and knelt in front of it. My hands were shaking too much in anticipation for me to even hold my lockpicks. Instead I pulled out a bottle of skooma and after checking over my shoulders, drained it in one gulp. It was even sweeter than I expected, though not as sweet as it used to be. The liquid lit a fire in my chest and in my head. At once, I was at peace. I put the bottle back in my pocket and nearly took out another. Then I recalled how hard it was to find these and left it. I opened the chest easily now and emptied the contents, some coins, gems, and a gold necklace, into my satchel. For a moment, I thought Lydia would like the necklace, then stowed it away and forget about it.

No sooner did I close the lid than more bandits came running at us.

"Well, what do we have here?" said a redguard leading their charge, "You should never have come here."

The hunter was on his feet but this time was wielding a sword. Lydia came running back with her hammer poised to strike. They did not seem to notice me at first since I was in the back of the cave. I wondered if these bandits were heat tolerant. I sent one arrow into the redguard who was battling Lydia with an axe. His back caught fire and I heard him curse in pain. Magic began to enter the fight as a beam of frost struck the hunter who was already fighting another bandit. I looked over to see a small, elvish mage attacking from behind some wavering, magic shield. I decided to see if it was enough to stop a flaming arrow. I pulled back harder than usual and the arrow punched through and lodged itself in his neck. His head erupted in flames and his shield disappeared. I sent another arrow into his chest and he staggered back. I grabbed my sword to finish him off but before I could get there, Lydia smashed his body into the dirt with her warhammer. The third bandit came at me but I blocked his sword, bashed him in the face once, then cut him down. He must have already been weakened. I looked for the hunter and saw him lying dead by the table.

"Damn," I said, "another decent citizen killed by bandits. When I am ruling this land, this scum will be eradicated as one of my first proclamations."

Lydia shook her head, her expression sad as she looked at the hunter. "That will be one serious undertaking, especially in Riften. They trade crimes like coins. That's where that skooma probably came from."

"Really?" I asked, all else forgotten, "They have a big skooma problem there?"

"If by problem you mean distributing it all, then yes. That place also has the most skooma addicts of all of Tamriel. Naturally, every other crime could be found there in abundance as well. I believe the thieves even have a guild there."

"Interesting. For now let's load that carriage up with whatever we can sell and return to Whiterun. I suddenly have my appetite back. We'll have a nice meal then go after those bandits at Halted Stream."

Back in Whiterun, I traded in all the weapons and armor at Warmaidens and at the Drunken Huntsman once Arienne was out of money. Lydia decided to trade in her warhammer for a steel battleaxe taken from the redguard bandit. I was not impressed with the weapon but she seemed taken by the weight of it so I offered to sharpen the blade and re-wrap the handle for her. She thanked me, but for some reason began looking at me strangely.

We had lunch and headed back towards the gates but she grabbed my arm.  
"What about the skooma?" she asked.

"What? What skooma?"

"The skooma you found back at the bandit's hideout. You told that hunter you were going to bring it to the jarl and tell him about where you found it."

How did she hear that? Did it suddenly get hot out here? "I decided not to bother the jarl with it. I'm sure he knows there's a skooma problem plus he's busy with the rebels and now dragons. Just forget it."

"What about the skooma itself? Do you still have it?"

"Oh, no, I dumped that back at the inn's latrine. Let's go, Lydia, daylight's wasting."

This time I took the lead over the wall, mostly so I would not have to look at Lydia. I lied again but I did not want to start another problem between us. As long as I spaced these out better I should be all right and now I knew where I could get more. Tomorrow, we would head out to Riften. I just needed to think of a reason why.


	9. Day Eight Part Two

Day Eight Part Two

I followed the wall until I spotted a road that Lydia said would lead to the camp. Just before the road, I saw flames around a tree. I got a little closer and I realized someone was fighting against some sort of creature made of flame. They appeared to be having a hard time against it so I decided to help. Skooma often put me in a good mood. I got as close as I could without being noticed then lined up a perfect shot for my bow. The arrow flew into the creature and disappeared. What the Hells happened?

Lydia rapped me on the back of the head with her hand. "Fighting a Flame Atronoch with fiery arrows? Remind me not to ask you to help put out a house fire. Try your sword."

I put my bow away. "Just a test," I said defensively. I unsheathed my sword and raced towards the fight. The three of us were able to put the creature down. The person, a blonde Nord woman, was about to say something when an explosion caught me off guard. She spoke briefly then turned and walked away but my ears were ringing so I did not hear what she said.

Slowly my hearing returned. "Who was that?" I asked Lydia. "What did she say?"

"She was a Vigilant of Stendarr. She just happen to come across that rogue atronoch. That happens to those creations a lot. She said their usual line, 'Always walk in the light'. I think she wanted to thank you personally."

That got my attention. Even with her hood up I could tell she was pretty. "Really? Why did she leave?"

"She said she can't stand the smell of burnt eyebrows."

Lydia laughed and headed back to the road.

I wiped my brow and realized my eyebrows were gone. That was not funny. Not only was I now disfigured, I might have missed out on a personal thank you because of it. Lydia's sense of humor bordered on cruel. Well, at least Lydia was laughing again. It was a start. I shrugged and picked up some of the fire salts left behind by the atronoch. I heard they could really spice up your food.

I caught up with Lydia just as she turned down a road heading northwest. A minute later the camp came into view. A large stockade wall surrounded the camp with ramps along most of it for archers to patrol along. Even as I thought it I saw two bandits with bows walking along the perimeter. I saw another bandit chopping wood. In the distance I could see what looked like the entrance to a cave or mine. Most likely their chief would be in there, counting up his loot, and hopefully getting loaded on skooma.

I pointed out the closest archer on the wall who now was sitting in a chair. Lydia acknowledged the target then waited for my cue. I sent a fiery arrow into his head but miraculously he did not go down. He sounded the alarm before I could put another arrow in him to silence him for good. Lydia charged the open gate where the bandit was chopping wood. They swung at each other and I used my bow to set him on fire. I switched to the other archer on the wall who was taking aim at Lydia and ignoring me. The archer fell with one shot but Lydia was still battling. I loosened my sword and ran to help her. Before I could get there, another bandit, a mage, appeared and hit me full in the face with a blast of ice and snow. Being a Nord and raised in the northern weather, the cold did not bother me too much but the magical frost was stinging my eyes and nose. I closed in on him as quickly as I could. Despite his magical shield, my sword cut him down in two strokes. I looked for Lydia even as the frost was melting off my nose. She was standing with her foot on the bandit's head, tugging her battleaxe free of his chest.

Together we relieved the bandits of their ill-gotten gains and scour the camp for loot and supplies. One had an amulet that I recognize as the symbol for Arkay. I tried it on instead of my Talos amulet to see how it looked. It was not bad, and it made me feel stronger for some reason. I kept it on. I found two chests, one with a flail trap that missed me completely. Stupid bandits. The only useful item I found was a set of steel nordic gauntlets that fit and looked better than the iron ones I had been wearing. My battle wardrobe was coming along nicely. We headed into the mine to find the bandit chief. So far, I could not see why the Whiterun guards could not have handled these wastrels.

The mine was loud inside with a wind howling through it. Lydia lit a torch just in time for me to see a plate on the floor. I moved us around whatever trap it was then stopped as a bandit was sitting in front of us. I thought we were quiet enough but he stood and picked up an axe that was lying next to him. He stretched and grinned, "Never should have come here."

"Yeah, I get that a lot," I said then I got an idea. I held my hands out and started backing up, edging Lydia back as well. "Hold on now fella, maybe we can talk about this. It's possible you're smarter than you look, right?"

He charged forward, bringing his axe back for a big swing. He stepped on the plate and I used my Shout on him. He staggered back as a pile of rocks fell from the ceiling. The trap did not kill him but my sword stabbing into his chest a moment later did. As he fell, I noticed something was different. I touched the ancient sword and it felt warm, probably from the bandit's body, but it did not have the faint glow it used to have. I asked Lydia but she said she did not know much about enchanted weapons. Oh well, it was still a sword and it did what I needed it to do. I found a key on the bandit as well as some healing potions on a table. I used the key to move on into the mine.

I did not see anymore traps but I could hear voices not far away.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Lydia said.

I almost bumped into a string of bones hanging from the ceiling, most likely some warning signal. I told her to hush then snuck forward as best I could. The room looked like some sort of processing room. There was a dead mammoth right in the middle. How they got it in there was anyone's guess. The floor was covered with blood and what looked like oil as well. Perhaps the animal was so big they were just going to set the floor on fire to roast it. Stupid bandits. There was also a forge and a platform with beds and a huge treasure chest. That is where I saw the one who had to be the chief. He was an Orc and his armor was much nicer than the others'. They all seemed to be listening to whatever he had to say.

I counted four bandits so surprise would work best for us. Lydia yawned behind me. I shot her a venomous look, which she merely smirked at. I thought for a moment then noticed the lanterns strung above them. I remembered my little trick from Bleak Falls Barrow then told Lydia to get ready. Three arrows sent three lanterns to the floor, erupting the room in flames. They either figured out where we were or were running to get out but either way they all ran up a ramp towards us. Lydia charged forward and met three of the bandits at the top of the ramp, including the loudmouthed bandit chief. One must have perished in the flames. They were bottled up at the stairs so I peppered the lot with more arrows, making sure I did not hit my housecarl.

Suddenly Lydia backed off, wounded, and two remaining bandits advanced on me. I retreated as I drew my sword and waited for them to all be lined up in front of me. I threw my head back and Shouted as hard as I could. They all staggered backwards. I ran forward and smashed my sword into the closest one, a woman. Then I pretended to block but instead rammed my new gauntlets into her face then followed through with an uppercut slice than caught her under the chin and hurled her into the air to topple over the railing.

The bandit chief roared after me and his battleaxe caught me off guard. Even through my heavy armor the blow was intense. I tried to Shout him back but nothing happened. He wound up for another swing and I tried to dodge. The tip of the axe nicked my leg. I could feel the blood running into my boots and my heart was pounding so loud I thought even he could can hear it. Fortunately, the chief's axe lodged in the mine's stony floor which gave me a moment to roll away and quickly drink two healing potions. I thought the bleeding stopped but I did not have time to check. The chief wrenched his axe free and saw me still moving. I could hear Lydia fighting behind me so I supposed there was another bandit still alive.

The chief and I squared off and I put my guard up. He wound up for a swing but I stepped into it and bashed my sword into his chest. Caught off balance, he stumbled backwards and I lashed out with a flurry of cuts to his arms and legs. As he righted himself, I reared back for as powerful a swing as I could manage. It slipped in under his guard and caved in the side of his steel armor, throwing him against the wall of the mine. His huge frame slid to the ground and came to rest beside his axe.

Lydia joined me, having dispatched the last of the bandits. We sit down to rest. She had a few more visible cuts and bruises but did not complain. I wished there was a way I could have used my new healing powers on her. Instead, I used it on myself then checked my leg where the axe had nearly hewn it off. It was still healing but I only felt a slight pang that would not go away.

"Looks nasty," Lydia said. "Should leave a memorable scar."

"Proof of my prowess," I said. "I can walk, but my knee may never be the same."

We had a bit of food then looked around the mine. I did not find a whole lot in terms of coin, but I did find some nice weapons and a few books. One book in particular looked like a spellbook. I wondered if I would understand it better now that I was aware of my healing powers. I browsed through it and surprisingly I did understand it. Apparently I was now able to transmute iron ore into silver and then silver into gold. Miraculous! If I were to purchase some of these mines and have workers bring the ore to me, I would have septims coming out of my Azura. I told Lydia my plan and she suggested if I wanted to buy so much property, I would have to become Thane of all the holds first. After she explained it that way, it seemed like a lot of menial work, especially for someone with more of a conquering destiny laid before them. Perhaps I would save it for my retirement.

I suggested we leave and on the way out I grabbed one more thing.

"What are you going to do with that?" Lydia asked.

I strapped the mammoth tusk to my back. "I'm going to need something to shove up Avenicci's backside if he 'forgets' the bounty he offered for these guys."

By the time we got back to Whiterun it was past time for people to be up so I just had Lydia whip us up a small dinner. It was edible, with a healthy dose of ale to wash it down. Then we sacked out in Breezehome for the night. Hopefully with the money from the bounty I would be able to outfit the other bedroom upstairs. As it was, the only bed was big enough for both of us. We were both too tired to do anything but climb the stairs and remove just enough armor to be able to sleep.


	10. Day Nine Part One

Day Nine

In the morning we awoke rested and headed for Dragonsreach. It was raining pretty hard but the thought of the money from the bounty cheered me up. I did not even feel a tremendous need for skooma. At Halted Stream, I had found a green tunic with a hood and it worked perfect in this weather.

On the way, I paid a visit to Ysolda and presented to her the mammoth tusk I had found. She was so happy to see it she gave me a tight, prolonged hug. I don't know if it was the thrill of talking to me or maybe the cold rain on her blouse but I could tell she was definitely excited. I let her talk and tried to listen but it was hard to keep my eyes from wandering back down. For finding the tusk, she finally gave me some pointers on getting the upper hand in most simple trade deals. They should be helpful with all the loot we had been finding. Ysolda finished by giving me a kiss then returned to her booth. I adjusted my breeches and found Lydia looking at me and shaking her head.

"What?" I asked innocently then continued to the keep.

Inside Dragonsreach I located Avenicci standing next to the jarl's throne by himself. I reminded him of the bounty he told me of and presented him the ears of the bandit chief. He took a step back, disgusted.

"Next time you need only inform me and I will verify the bounty with a guard's inspection. This time, I will take your word for it and check later. Here is your reward."

He tossed me a coin purse. It felt substantially lighter than I thought it should. I opened it and counted out the coins.

"One hundred septims?" I asked him, thinking maybe he gave me the wrong purse. "That's what almost getting killed in some fire pit of a mine is worth?"

"The jarl is feeling very generous lately," he said, oblivious to my ire. "If you're interested I also have a bounty for..."

"Blow it out your Avenicci," I said and stashed my coins away. Instead of leaving, however, I turned and found Farengar in his room.

"Come to learn the...oh, it's you," the frail mage said. "What can I do for you, Thane?"

"I know we've gotten off on the wrong foot, Farengar, but after recent events, I was wondering if you could help me with a few things concerning magic."

He raised one eyebrow. "Well, I'm no Winterhold Scholar, but I may be able to instruct you on a few finer points. If you are to be of any help to the jarl I suppose you should know something."

I tried to smile. "Exactly. Also, is there a way to heal other people with magic, instead of just yourself?"

I flinched as he put a hand on my shoulder. My skin still crawled.

"Come, sit down, Thane. I have some books you may be interested in."

A short while later I was leaving Farengar's office, a little wiser in magic and a lot lighter in the purse. Information and books were quite expensive in Skyrim. Lydia, who had had some people to visit while we were in Dragonsreach, was waiting for me by the jarl's throne talking to Irileth. I shook Farengar's hand and he was shocked by the gesture.

"Oh, I have one more question," I said.

"As always, your money is good here."

I thought better of it. He was getting a little too smug for my liking. "Never mind. I'll figure it out."

"All right, hold on, Thane," Farengar said as I walked away. "I'll throw one answer in for your help with the Dragonstone. What is it?"

"Well, if you know, I found this sword and it had some enchantment on it that made things suffer damage from the cold. Yesterday, it stopped working. Any idea why?"

"Of course, Thane. How simple. Magic weapons lose their enchantments with each strike, like a hilt loses it's leather over time. You must simply recharge it with a soul gem. The bigger the gem, the more charges it will have."

I rummaged around in one of my pouches and pulled out one of the crystals I had found. "You mean these?"

"Yes, yes, but not all are charged. Some are empty and waiting to be charged. Let's see, this one looks to have a small charge. Simply hold it to the weapon and the enchantment will take care of itself."

I did as he instructed. I held the gem to the blade of the sword and the crystal dissolved in my hand. The blade, however had its bluish aura back.

"Amazing," I said. "And I've been leaving these gems behind. Oh, well. Thank you again, Farengar. You're not nearly as evil as I thought you were."

"And you're not nearly as...tall...as I remember. Didn't you used to have eyebrows? Good day, Thane."

With all that I had recently learned, I disregarded going to Riften. It could wait. I waved Lydia over to me and told her we could head towards Ustengrav now.

Outside of the walls of Whiterun, I checked my map and we headed northwest. An attack from two wolves redirected me towards a small pond where I saw a nirnroot growing. I plucked the weed but I also snagged a mysterious orcish sword being held by a skeletal arm sticking out from the water. Odd to be sure, but I gave it to Lydia to carry. A little further I spotted a large ruined keep. I stopped to see if anyone was around. These abandoned places had proven to be havens for bandits lately. I did not see anything but suddenly I heard an arrow whistle through the air. The shaft buried itself in my chestplate.

The impact startled me but it did not do much damage. I snapped the arrow off and looked for who had shot it. Lydia saw them first and met their charge with her battleaxe. There were three of them, one with a bow and another firing sparks from his hands. The third ran full speed towards me, completely ignoring Lydia. I took him out by lifting him in the air with my sword in his stomach and tossing him against the wall of the keep. The archer managed only one more hit before I slapped him in the head with the flat of my sword then hacked him nearly in half when he tried to draw his sword. Lydia left the sparky mage at the bottom of the steps that lead up to the keep.

I suggested we do a quick search for some loot but it was cut short when three more bandits came running down the steps to attack. One stopped to shoot arrows but his aim was horrendous as long as I kept moving. The other two bandits met a similar bloody end as their cohorts on the steps. The archer ran into the top part and I was forced to chase and cut him down inside.

The middle of this stone structure contained a forge, complete with workbench and grinding stone. On the workbench I found a great book called 'Light Armor Forging' and another about Lunar forging, whatever that was. A quick read of the latter showed how to make Lunar steel. I looked for an example and found two swords that were glowing green. They looked otherwise normal. I gave them to Lydia to carry. She rolled her eyes and made room for them in her pack. In a nearby chest I found a spellbook called 'Courage'. Sounded positive so I read it and learned how to inspire my companions with a spell. That would come in extremely handy once I was leading my victorious armada into battle against evil, or my sister, whichever was closer.

I checked the bandits as I left and found trinkets and coin but on Sparky I found another spellbook called, 'Fury'. That sounded right up my alley, too. I read it and the intricacies of warping a person's mind with paranoia became clear. I could not wait to try this one on a group of bandits. Stupid bandits.

We took the tasty salmon steaks they had been cooking and ate them as we continued north. I heard a wolf howling nearby and got my sword ready. It pounced from behind a large rock. I was a bit slow from eating too much salmon. The beast ripped a chunk out of my upper arm before I ran my sword through its stomach. I healed myself using the methods suggested by Farengar. I was able to narrow the focus of the energy I channeled to more quickly seal and repair the wound. At least the mage was good for something.

Shortly after the wolf attack, my hips and shoulders began to send sharp pains through my body. I had to slow down and keep massaging my joints. I nearly had to draw steel with Lydia who over-reacted when I asked her to rub something for me. I explained quickly and she put her dagger back, but she still declined. Man's best friend, indeed. Another wolf emerged from the woods and this fight was tougher. I could swing my sword but it had nowhere near the power behind it that it should. Lydia suggested I may have contracted rockjoint.  
I must have looked extremely concerned so she added, "...from the wolf."

I sighed with relief and searched through my pack. I could have sworn I had a potion for diseases. I found one for curing poison, but not diseases.

Neither of us knew of a natural cure, so I decided to soldier on and hoped I could find something soon or at least before Ustengrav.

I lead the way northwest until the road took us to a pass beneath several huge stone arches. The way was choked with snow but I trudged on, that is until I heard a familiar grunting. At the end of the arches I saw two snow trolls dancing around as if eager to get their hairy knuckles into us. I might have considered taking them on but not with my joints stiffening up on me every step. I turned us back and searched for a way around this area.

I headed north until I found a stone staircase. The wind and snow had picked up so I was hoping the stairs would lead to a town soon, or at least someplace out of the elements for a little bit. All this walking and hurting was draining my reserves and I felt a familiar craving I thought I had put aside. I put my hand in my pocket to keep the bottles of skooma warm and ready. Halfway up I spotted a white fox. The pelt would bring almost as much as that crook Avenicci gave me for that bounty. I launched an arrow but it must have seen me so the shot only grazed it. I chased after it as best I could.

At the top of the stairs I crouched and lined up a shot but it fumbled loose from my fingers as I dove to the ground. A giant black shadow passed overhead and I heard a deep roar from the sky.

Lydia yelled out, "Dragon!"


	11. Day Nine Part Two

Day Nine Part Two

I saw the dragon, a great brown monster. It wheeled about in the air and headed back towards us. I ran for cover behind a stone pillar. To reach it, I had to jump over a dead adventurer. I was not sure what worried me more, the dead man or the shard of pain that lanced through my leg when I landed.

"Hey, Lydia!" I yelled over the roar of the dragon. "I don't like the looks of this!"

"That's what I was going to say!" she replied from the top of the steps.

"I know!"

I looked back around the pillar in time to see the dragon stop and hover in the air, looking right at me. He breathed a torrent of ice and frost that the pillar blocks most of. I took the opportunity to swig a bottle of skooma then ditched the bottle in some weeds. It helped, a little.

The dragon flew off and I took the chance on limping around looking for a better place to fight from. We were trapped on some sort of high ledge, almost like a roost for the dragon. I saw another one of those word walls but that was the least of my concerns as the dragon returned. It hovered again but this time breathed down on Lydia. I managed to unleash three fiery arrows into the beast before it flew off. Lydia looked more pissed than injured, shaking off pieces of ice. I hopped back to the dead man and noticed he had two healing potions on him. I took those and got back behind the pillar just before another blast of ice hit me. I decided to stay where I was and pick at the creature slowly with my bow. I called to Lydia to join me. She waved me off to stay out there and draw the dragon's attention.

Even drawing back the bow was beginning to take its toll on my shoulders and elbows. One of my shots I saw plunge deep into its blue eye. It reared its head and circles back around, flying erratically. Instead of hovering, the dragon came crashing down, plowing a furrow into the stone and dirt. It nearly toppled me over and slid to a stop between me and Lydia.

It stood right next to my pillar but it could not get its slavering jaws between them to reach me, banging its long razor teeth against the stone. It was in a dying frenzy to kill me. We continued bristling its hide with arrows. At last it shrieked and falls over dead. I stepped out from behind the pillar in time to feel the dragon's soul release and soak into my being. This time I could actually taste it. It had the essences of metal and fish.

"A job well done, Dragonborn," Lydia said. "How exactly do you plan on controlling these mindless beasts?"

I sat on the dragon's skull to rest. "I haven't figured that out yet. They can't all be so single-minded on killing, can they?"

She shrugged, "Ask that man behind you."

I looked again at the long-dead adventurer. He was obviously not up to the job of dragon killer. I was distracted when I heard the faint chanting again and stepped up to the dragonwall. It burned the Word, 'Frost Breath' into my mind. I wondered if it would actually allow me to breathe like the dragon I just slew? I would decide to try later, when I was not suffering from this damn affliction. I found a treasure chest and an urn but neither had anything spectacular. At least I acquired another Word of power for the trouble. I clapped Lydia on the shoulder and we headed back down the stairs.

In order to get around the mountain, I had to backtrack almost all the way to the last bandit camp in the ruins. I spotted another faint trail leading into the mountains. I could barely make it over the rocks and the land was so steep I found myself having to almost leapfrog over some spots. I eventually got to more level ground but then I almost ran right into a group of four bandits walking along the same road single file. They did not look too tough and the skooma was still buzzing through my veins so I decided to take the fight to them. Also, I was anxious to try out the fury spell I had just read about.

I stopped Lydia and let the bandits get a little further ahead then focused my thoughts on creating the spell. It formed a green ball of mental energy in my palm and I aimed it at the middle of the line. As soon as it hit I tried a second one but I felt my magic reserve draw on empty. The bandits meanwhile were scattered. Two were fighting, one ran off into the woods, and the fourth spotted us and got his bow out. I unslung my own bow just as his arrow struck me in the leg, right near where I had just repaired. I returned fire as did Lydia and the archer collapsed. I knew these guys were worthless. Lydia and I charged forward to attack the two who were fighting but one went down with an axe to the face before we got there. My shoulders protested vehemently as I chopped down the other before he could finish whatever witty threat he was about to utter. I knew there was a fourth one nearby. I could hear him whimpering. I found him cowering behind some rocks. He was about to stand but I put him down with few quick strokes of my blade.

"I don't think he was going to give you any trouble," Lydia said, coming up behind me. "He would have run away."

"Run away and joined some other band of criminals," I said, cleaning my sword on his fur jacket. "As Thane and as future ruler of this land..."

"You will also need to learn compassion when dealing with people. Not everybody is a hardened criminal. Some youths merely get caught up in trouble and a little mercy..."

"Do not speak to me of mercy! Mercy is what keeps these bandits and thieves and mages running around unchecked doing whatever they want. It was not mercy that sent me here. It was not mercy that saved my head from the chopping block. There was no mercy when my brother was killed. It was not mercy that stopped the mages that killed him from doing it to someone else. It was this." I shoved my sword in front of Lydia. To her credit, she did not even flinch. "Cowards love mercy. Evil loves mercy. That is why I intend to make them all hate me."

"As you wish, my Thane." Lydia left me behind the rock with the cooling bandit.

I checked his pockets and found two septims. "Was it worth it?" I said then returned to the road.

The other bandits had little more than the first. Obviously they were as skillful at being bandits as they were fighters.

The road continued uphill into the frozen wastes that could only be the top of the mountain. The visible road came to an end at a dilapidated shrine. The totem in the middle denoted it as a shrine to Mara.

Lydia nodded her head towards it. "I hear if you accept a Divine's blessing, it will cure any disease you may have."

"Really? No harm in trying," I said and stepped towards the shrine.

"Watch out, though, Thane. Mara is the goddess of love. She may just find you...lacking."

"Do not confuse love with mercy, housecarl. And besides, Mara should know me by now. I've had many women moan my name to her."

Lydia shook her head, "Such a pig."

I reached out to the totem and heard a whisper in my ear.

"Do you accept the blessing of Mara?"

I looked over to make sure it's not Lydia then silently accepted. A weightlessness passed through me and at once my limbs were free of pain. I moved my arms in big circles and almost broke into a dance to feel my legs move without pain. I wondered if I could take this with me? It looked secured to the stone base pretty well, and Lydia already had a lot of carry. Perhaps I could have one made for my keep when I took over.

We took some time to eat a few apples and cheese sandwiches under the shelter of some trees then moved on. My pace was brisk now that I was unhindered by rockjoint and Lydia had a hard time keeping up. I forgot how much extra she was carrying, so I graciously slowed down.

At the top of a rise, I was well in the lead when I saw an odd shadow moving among the snow. I stopped to look up, thinking maybe another dragon was passing overhead. Suddenly I heard footsteps crunching towards me. The shadow materialized into a darkly clad figure brandishing two daggers and was nearly upon me. I managed to get my sword out in time to block his first swipe at me but his second dagger caught my arm above the gauntlet. An Argonian hissed at me from under his hood. Instead of hissing back, I let Shouted instead. He teetered back into the snow, but kept his thick tail underneath him for balance. He flung himself into the air and nearly landed on top of me. With my guard up, I managed to slap him on the snout with the flat of my sword then spun and caught him low in the legs. He tried to run at me again but Lydia arrived with her steel battleaxe and opened up his chest like a snakeskin basket.

I thanked her then helped myself to his stuff. I found more loot and another note from the Dark Brotherhood. What was it with these Argonian assassins? Did I anger some rich Argonian and he wanted me dead? Maybe it was someone's retaliation for how I treated that first lizard thief that I tossed into the river. I did not think anyone else had been there to witness that, not that he did not deserve what he got.

I spotted a small shrine not far away and went to investigate it. I could not tell who it was meant for but the offerings were substantial. I found gems, including a large diamond, a sword, and even a steel helmet that glowed faintly with a blue aura. I did not know what property it possessed but it was still an upgrade from the iron one I had found back in Helgen, and finally no more damn horns on my head. A chest next to it was easy enough to pick open but only contained a few more coins.

I failed to see a path but I could see smoke rising from someplace nearby so I picked my way carefully through the rocks alongside the mountain. At least I thought I was being careful. I leapt off of a rock but the snow beneath was softer and deeper than it looked. I fell through it awkwardly and come to a jarring stop that made my knees buckle. I worried that I did some permanent damage and just after getting relief from the Shrine of Mara. It turned out nothing was broken and Lydia, once she was done laughing, was able to pull me out.

It was getting late and I do not want to be out in the mountains at night. We scrambled the rest of the way down and I located the source of the smoke.  
A small mining camp was set up. The only structure was a house, but despite my most charming smile they do not figure on sharing their roof or their beds. I settled for being allowed to set up a tent for the two of us outside among the other tents. We ate a dinner of chicken and potatoes and called it a night.


	12. Day Ten

Day Ten

In the morning I woke to feel my body aching to the Nines and a gnawing void that could only be filled with a quick hit of skooma. I had a breakfast of cooked beef and a honey nut treat. Lydia had the same plus a few boiled cream treats afterwards. She stood from the table and complained her armor was feeling a bit snug lately from all the traveling food she had been eating. I agreed that that was how it looked. She stared daggers at me.

"What?" I asked. "I was agreeing with you."

"Idiot."

"I'm not complaining. I like a girl who is not afraid to eat properly. Shows she has an appetite for good food, among other things." Wink.

"On second thought, you're not an idiot. You're still just a pig."

We headed north through a cold forest. The light of day saw the woods turn into swampy bogs filled with dead wood, buzzing dartwings, and big purple flowers. No dangerous denizens to deal with, however. It must have been too early for them.

The map I had was fairly detailed and it appeared Ustengrav was not far from the edge of the swamp. I slowed to a crouch when I saw the raised mound that could only be the ruins I was looking for. I saw smoke from a fire burning on the other side. I slowly circled the ruins until I observed three bandits milling around the fire. I tried out my fury spell again and sent a red flare into the group. All that seems to happen is I make them aware of our presence. Perhaps I needed to hit someone for it to work.

They charged up the hill after us. I got my bow out and set the lead bandit on fire then switched to my sword. He barely lasted long enough for the fire on his clothes to go out. Another bandit, an orc, got in one shot before I cut off his foot at the ankle then smashed the edge of my blade into his chest as he fell. Lydia was backing up as a dark mage was encasing her in an ice spell. His balding head was no match for my blade.

"Ugh, necromancer," I said, noting the skull on his black robe. "I fear this ruin is going to be as foul inside as it is outside."

I found the body of another bandit, a woman, by the fire. No doubt they had killed her to turn her into a thrall for their uses, the nature of which I cared not to ponder. Inside the burial mound, I found stairs leading down to a set of iron doors and another dead bandit. Right above his head I spotted two bottles of skooma resting on a barrel. I was close enough to the bandit to pocket them but Lydia is right behind me.

"Did you hear that?" I asked.

"What?"

"Check the top of the steps. I thought I heard another mage up there."

Lydia gave me a funny look but dashed up the steps anyway. I quickly put the bottles in my pocket then rummaged through the sacks and chest nearby until Lydia came back down.

"Nothing?" I said, "Really? Must have been a bird. Let's go get this horn."

Inside the ruins it seemed as though a battle had just been fought. Two dead bandits were close to the door. I could still smell the blood in the air. I crept down a ramp and I saw another bandit lying prone against a stone pillar. A battleaxe laid at his feet. I looked away from him in time to see three mages fighting a bandit on the other side of the large chamber. One mage was simply standing while the other two were sending bursts of fire and ice at the bandit. He did not last long. The two mages walked away and I saw the third mage simply disintegrate into a pile of ash. The two mages acted as if it was normal then continued talking about how worthless thralls were as slaves. Their kind sickened me more and more. I could not let them get away to create more thralls. I struck one with an arrow that hit him unawares. I was able to hit him again before he figured out where it had come from.

The two mages ran towards us. One went after Lydia and the other engaged me. I got one swing through his gout of fire spell when suddenly a bandit was attacking me with a pickaxe. I shouted him aside and finished off the mage with one more hit. Now that I looked at the bandit, I could see a bluish glow to him. The poor soul must have been enthralled. I was about to help him with his undead condition when he fell apart, leaving only an ash pile. I glanced over at Lydia and she was bending over the other mage cleaning her axe on his soiled robe.

Lydia came up to me and handed me a scroll. "He had this on him, not much else."

I unfurled the paper. It was a spell to create a blizzard indoors. Interesting, but usually I tried to avoid blizzards. I tucked it away for sale later. There was a chest on a table with a few gold coins and I found two other piles of ash nearby. Apparently creating thralls was the reason I saw so many brooms lying around. All that ash must really build up. The only exit I saw was a tunnel so I followed that a short ways, finding more dead bandits and one dead mage. Voices caused me to stop.

"What was that?" a voice ahead said.

I thought we had been detected so I unsheathed my sword and prepared for battle. Then I heard the sounds of fighting so I slipped forward down some stairs and saw two mages spellcasting at a group of draugrs. I switched to my bow and my choice of who to help took all of a moment to make. My first arrow embedded itself in a mage's hood. I was aiming for his ear, but it was hard to tell with the hood still up. The draugr did the rest. I liked watching that, but then they turned their soulless eyes towards me. I shouted at them and they all reeled back, giving me time to switch back to my sword and for Lydia to run past me yelling some threats I thought vulgar even towards draugr. They must have been pretty damaged already because they went down like wheat before a scythe. I checked the corpses for loot and found mostly coins but on one mage I found a spellbook titled, 'Raise Zombie'. I was repulsed even to have touched the book, which I swore was made of something more... organic than parchment. I tossed it into a flaming brazier nearby. It stank like maggoty meat. Next to the brazier I found two bottles of mead, one of them Black-Briar mead. Draugr hacking was hot work, especially in a stagnant ruin, so I drank down the Black Briar mead and handed Lydia the other. She drained her's faster than I did and I tried to ignore how her lips lingered on the bottle. Too late, she noticed.

"What?" she asked.

"Nevermind," I said, "You've already said it enough times. Let's keep going."

Suddenly Lydia belched loudly and covered her mouth.

"Nice," I reprimanded, "Can't take you anywhere."

"Sorry. It slipped."

We both laughed and moved on.

I saw rooms to the left filled with golden urns, but I doubted what I was after would be so close to the entrance. I kept us moving through a maze of corridors, finding hidden rooms and more draugr, but no horn. We found a set of iron doors and beyond it is an enormous underground hall.

"I've never seen anything like this," Lydia commented.

While looking out over the hall, I spotted one skeleton walking along a stone bridge. I got out my bow and with one steady shot, blasted him into pieces.

Lydia was impressed. "You're turning into quite the marksman with that bow."

"Of course," I said, "I think the magic in this is used up now, though. I didn't notice any flames when it struck."

Lydia shrugged, "Could be the distance."

I nodded but even the warmth from the wood was gone. We pressed on.

I thought I had found the horn in one chamber where a smaller room was blocked by two stout metal gates. The trigger to one was right next to them but it took us quite a while to find the other, hidden around the corner near a coffin. Inside the room was one of those glowing tables I saw in Farengar's den. On the table was a chest but the only thing in it besides some gold was a scroll for a spell of mayhem. I put that one next to the blizzard spell. No horn, however, so we moved on.

The path we found took us back to the hall we saw earlier. I noticed a catwalk that went above it so I decided to use that for reconnaissance before we just waded into whatever might be waiting. The catwalk, though, was broken in several places. The first spot I managed to jump over. I was known as quite the athlete back home. The next however even I could not span. While I debated continuing, I saw several skeletons walking around patrolling. I stayed crouched and managed to take them all out with one shot each. I saw Lydia down below looking for something to hit. She gave up and sat down on a bench to wait. I almost went back but then I recalled the Shout I learned at the Greybeards. I stood at the edge and used my Whirlwind Shout. The only thing that stopped me was a stone pillar and I pulled back with a bleeding nose. My ears were just fine and I could hear Lydia laughing and I saw her roll off the bench in hysterics.

"Laugh it up, Sweetroll," I called out.

The catwalk led me to a room with a chest and a dead draugr cradling a soul gem. In the chest I found a scroll for a hysteria spell. Whoever used to use this place sure liked his spell scrolls. Must have had a pretty poor memory. I returned to the catwalk but I decided to jump down to another platform where I could see some gems sitting on a shelf. I grabbed those and ran through a firetrap to where Lydia was waiting. She was still smiling and trying not to laugh.

"How's the nose?" she asked, through a series of chuckles.

I touched my nose and recoiled. I allowed some of my healing powers to fix it. "Better," I reached for her face, "Now let me see if I can..oh, that's right. You were born like that."

Lydia mock laughed and followed me as I went down a path towards a waterfall and pond I had spotted from the catwalk.

The path was merely a ledge and one misstep would send me plummeting into the water, which would not be so bad, unless it was shallow. At the bottom of the path I could hear the chanting from the dragonwall. I had not seen that from above. I got my sword ready since it seemed releasing the word often attracted unwanted attention. I stepped to the wall and the word, 'Fade' became clear to me. I stepped away as my vision cleared, but nothing happened. Somewhat disappointed, I started towards the waterfall.

"Where do you think you're going?" Lydia asked, "Not that I don't think you could use a bath."

"You'll use any excuse to get my clothes off, won't you? So obvious."

Lydia sighed and waited with her hand on her hip.

"I saw a space behind the falls as we were coming down. You coming...with me, that is?"

Lydia shook her head, "Pig," and followed.

We dashed through the waterfall and found a dark room. Lydia lit up her torch and we walked towards a small table with a chest on top. From the left, the top of an upright coffin fell down and a grumbling draugr stepped out holding a sword. He struck harder than the ones before, forcing me to down a healing potion before we could chop him to pieces. The chest held only some coins and an iron sword on the table was not even worth carrying out.

The rest of the area only yielded two more potions and some coins. Back up in the hall I crossed the stone bridge I had killed the first skeleton on. It led to a strange room with a gate at the back, three stones in the middle, and stairs on the right. Something blue caught my eye to the left and I find a blue potion next to a dead draugr stuffed in the rocks. An arrow struck me in the shoulder. I was more startled than hurt. Lydia bounded up the flight of wooden stairs and before I could reach her, she sent a skeleton to the boneyard. I grabbed its arrows and another potion nearby.

Down at the three stones, when I got near each one I saw one of three gates open down a hallway. I tried to get through them in time but they kept closing. I told Lydia to go down the hall and I would open each gate for her but she refused, saying she suspected a trap and would not leave me alone. I pondered briefly what to do next, then it came to me. I stood by the first stone and walked towards it. As soon as the gate opened I used my whirlwind shout and sprinted passed the other stones which opened the other gates. Once through the last, the gates stayed open. Lydia followed and we continued until we reached an odd room covered with spider webs and a tiled floor. I stepped on the tiles and I smelled gas coming from the floor just before fire erupted in front of me.

"Die!" Lydia yelled and I spun around with my hands up. She was pointing her bow towards the far wall at two spiders lurking in the shadows. I laughed but I did not think she was paying me any attention. The spiders spit down poison but they were no match for our bows and now I knew for sure my bow's magic was depleted.

We made our way quickly across the gas trapped floor and suffered only minor burns that I handled quickly with my new magic. I spied two more spiders and managed to kill them from my hidden spot with a single shot each. Seeing no more we ran across the last of the tiled floor to a dais covered with webs and a few desiccated corpses. On one I found a lockpick.

No sooner did I stand to show Lydia than a huge spider, bigger than the one in Bleak Falls, dropped from the ceiling. I shouted at it but I mixed up the words and instead of hitting it with a force, I sprinted to a far corner of the room. Lydia, however, covered for me by charging at it with her axe and hacking at its frail limbs. It began its attack by spitting poison at her then chomping down on her arm with its hairy mandibles. I cut it deep in the hindquarters with my sword and it spun around on its eight legs and hit me full in the face with more poison. The green acid stung at first then burned on my flesh. It forced me to back up then it hit me again with more poison. I fell to the ground, gasping from the pain as it felt like my skin was sloughing off. My shaking hands managed to grab a bottle from my pouch but I could not see well enough to know if it was the right one. I drank it and destiny prevailed as the healing potion quickly ran its course. Lydia had drawn the spider's ire with her wicked weapon and I was able to scramble away to drink two more potions. I got hit by another splash of poison and I saw Lydia down on one knee. The spider looked weak and was oozing green blood from a dozen vicious wounds. I pressed the attack and finished the giant arachnid with a single thrust into its cluster of eyes.

My skin was still raw and even smoking from the poison so I concentrated on my healing and I was able to recover almost completely before I ran out of energy. Lydia was picking herself up as I walked over to lend her a hand.

"Next time we see webs like this," she said, "How about we just make a run for it?"

"Deal."

I did not see another exit but I followed the stairs off the dais to a wall of webs. I used one of Lydia's extra swords to cut them down and behind them was a door. Through the door was a large burning brazier and another gate. I pull the chain for the gate then Lydia and I stepped into a grand room with rectangular pools on both sides and a large stone alter in the middle. When we reached the bottom of the stairs, the ground trembled and four identical statues rose slowly out of the water. I expected something else to appear and try to stop us. When only silence greeted us, I proceeded cautiously to the alter. There were stone hands that looked like they should be holding something, the horn, I assumed.  
The horn, however, was missing. In its place was a small note. I read it and had to laugh. I handed Lydia the note.

"It seems someone beat us to it," I said to Lydia, "I have a friend who wants to meet me in Riverwood."

"A friend?" Lydia asked, "So it's someone who hasn't met you. Do you think you can trust them?"

"I don't know. Let me see the note again."

I took the note and compared it to the last note I found on the assassin. The writing did not match. "Whether it's a trap or not, I need that horn to move on. Let's grab what we can and get back to Riverwood."

I loaded us up with anything worth keeping or sellling. I located a tunnel that lead to the rooms I had passed by earlier with all the urns. We rummaged through everything and the only useful item was an interesting text called 'Mystery of Talara vol.2' that showed me a way to block out distractions to improve my healing techniques. I left the ruins by the same door I entered.  
It was late by the time I breathed fresh air again and I knew the walk to Riverwood was over too many mountains to cross at night. Instead, I checked my map and decided to make for a place labeled Solitude.

The one thing I could say about maps is that they could be very deceptive. We slogged through the swamp, which became a frozen mess by the time night descended fully on us. I fought the occasional spitting spider, which I was getting better at dodging. We finally get near where the map said it should be and all I saw was water and a mountain. I was about to crush the worthless parchment up and throw it in the water when Lydia tapped me on the shoulder and pointed upwards. On top of the mountain I saw the silhouette of a walled city. Too late to turn back now, I vented my frustration and fatigue by force shouting across the water, causing an echo that lasted quite a while.

"Well, at least we know someone will be awake when we get there," Lydia said.

"They'll get over it. Maybe the inn's cook will have more than stale bread and cold fish to serve now. Let's go, I'm freezing my amulets off out here."

If I thought I was cold before, I was kidding myself after I realized there was a huge harbor in between where I was walking and the quickest way to Solitude. After a delightful nighttime swim I spent several more minutes wringing out my clothes in my hands. I did not want us to arrive in a new town chattering and squishing like two refugees from a swamp prison.

As we approached I noticed a lot of lights and commotion despite it being past midnight. That could not have all been my doing, could it?

"It looks like you've woken more than just the inn's cook," Lydia said.

"This couldn't be my doing. What is this a whole town of light sleepers? One little shout and they can't get back to sleep?"

"I don't know but they sound upset in there."

I shrugged. "What are they going to do? Kill me?"

I passed through the opened gate and the first thing I saw was a stage with a chopping block and a masked executioner.

"Damn," I said, "They take their sleep pretty seriously around here. All right, you go over there and yell, 'Dragon!', and I'll make a break for it to one of those boats back there. Meet me back in Whiterun..."

"Hold on, hold on," Lydia interrupted, "Take a look at the stage. It's not about you."

"It isn't? Why is everyone bothering to be out here, then?"

"It appears you're not the only person people want to see killed."

I watched for a few minutes as the Imperials accused someone of opening a gate that let Ulfric into the city where he killed the king. The man protested, saying that Ulfric killed him in a fair fight according to Nord traditions. The Imperials then said he cheated and used the voice. I understood the challenge part, but I don't see how using the Voice was cheating. It's not Ulfric's fault if the King showed up to a sword fight with a butter knife. Even so, as the guard's head made the basket wobble, I decided to just keep my Voice to myself. Lydia seemed delighted with the idea of my silence and even offered to pay for the night's room to celebrate. When I told her just the dragon-voice, she was less enthusiastic but did not take back the offer.

The closest place we found was called the Winking Skeever and while the name was questionable the establishment inside seemed adequate. We got a small dinner, mostly to have something to do by the fire, then rented a room. I was not looking forward to a night on the floor but when we were shown the room we were amazed. The room was huge with tables and bookshelves - with books - and most importantly, a large bed, big enough for the two of us easily. Of course this time I did not have an excuse to go on a 'pillow' hunt, but it would save me from having to evade her dagger, also.


	13. Day Eleven

Day Eleven

I was jolted out of my sleep by a horrendous noise. My sleep-muddled mind drove me into action. I leapt from the bed in only my smallcloths and landed flat on the floor. I scrambled on all fours, confused, looking for my sword. It was gone, as were my clothes. I looked up, realizing the noise was in the room.

A group of men, farmers by their rank smell, were standing in the doorway being led in song by Lydia. I picked myself up and stood there bewildered as they finished with an off key crescendo that would make a hagraven wince. They laughed and clapped each other on their backs as they filed out. The last man out turned to me.

"Don't blame us, lad, the lady paid us well to wake you for the Harvest's End Festival. Oh, and you might want to wait until you're outside before you go pitching tents." More laughter from the men.

Lydia closed the door. "Sorry, I had to do that." She cleared her throat and looked down, again.

I sighed and adjusted my loincloth. "What in the Nine's is going on, and where is all my stuff?"

"Don't you celebrate Harvest's End where you're from?"

"What? Of course we do. Is it that time already?"

"I took your clothes to be washed and your weapons to be sharpened. I was on my way to pick them up when I ran into those revelers showing up to drink.

Quite the singers, aren't they?"

I grimaced, "They're as talented as they are clean, I'll give them that. My clothes?"

"All right, I'm going, just quit pointing that thing at me."

I glanced down.

"Made you look." Lydia left and I could hear the men cheer when she reached the downstairs.

It was going to be one of those days. It might call for three skooma before it was over. I took my traveling pouch from the bedpost and reached for a bottle. I searched for a bottle. I dumped the contents out on the bed and saw everything there but skooma. My heart was racing and my head was pounding by the time Lydia returned.

"They got the bloodstains out," she said, "but as far as the smell... what's wrong?"

"Did you check your belongings?" I asked her, "I think we've been robbed."

"No, but the door's been locked. Why? What's missing?"

"Uh... something, that I was holding for someone."

Lydia noticed the empty pouch. "Oh, you mean the skooma?"

"You saw..I mean, you..what did you do with it?"

"Well, I figured someone like you wouldn't use stuff like that so you must have been saving it for a special occasion like a party or festival. What's more festive than Harvest's End?"

"You mean you...wait, those farmers? All of it?" I could feel sweat beading my forehead and my stomach cramping.

"Of course. Four bottles, four singers. Worked out perfect, wouldn't you say? Now wash up and get dressed, you look a mess. Be quick. Drinks are free today but if you want to get to Riverwood we better hurry."

Lydia dropped my clothes on the bed next to me and left. It took me a few moments to realize she had actually gone.

"All of it?" I asked to no one in particular.

The Winking Skeever was already packed to the rafters by the time I went downstairs. I saw Lydia laughing with a group of armed women and decided to get a drink first. I passed a table and recognized the four farmers. They raised a bottle of skooma each and toasted me before emptying them down their throats. I briefly think of slitting their throats so they would not get to enjoy it but instead I just turned and stalked out of the place. Lydia caught up to me outside.

"Is there a problem, Thane?"

"No, let's just get going. I want to unload some of this crap we picked up and get the Hells out of here. And stop calling me Thane. My name is Ralos."

We visited different places in Solitude to get the best offers but in my mood I was willing to accept most offers just to leave. At one place, some high-brow elf critiqued my clothes a little too haughtily for my liking. Before I could respond, however, Lydia had her dagger to the woman's throat.

"Perhaps a splash of red would help your outfit?" she said.

The elf backed off and we finished up quickly before any guards could be summoned.

Outside the walls, I nearly skipped to a Khajiit caravan set up off the road. I discreetly whispered to the leader, Ma'dran if he had any skooma. He apologized and said he had some but sold it. Then he saw Lydia and said she was the one who bought it. My eye began to twitch. Why would she do that? I wondered.

"Let's go, Lydia," I called out as I briskly walked away from Solitude.

Lydia caught up, "Is there a problem, Ralos?"

"No. Walk. In silence, please."

That did not last long.

"That stuff is poison, you know?"

I stopped and turned on her. "What I know is it helps keeps me level-headed and in good spirits. If I had a problem I wouldn't be trying to conquer all of Tamriel, I'd be in a den rolling in a bed of bottles. When we get to Whiterun, you can stay there at Breezehome. I need a follower, not a nursemaid."

"And the jarl doesn't need a skooma-addicted Thane. If you won't get help, then you won't have a title, either. People care what a Thane tells them. You know they don't give a Skeever's piss what Ralos has to say."

I wanted to yell back but even I knew she had a point.

"What you need is help," she said, "The priestess of Kynereth can help you but you will have to stay there a day and do as they say, perhaps do them a favor."

I turned back down the road. "I'll think on it."

"That's all I ask for now."

"Either way, you're still staying in Whiterun."

I headed for the docks and asked around for a boat to go across the harbor, or maybe closer to Riverwood, if possible. No one knew anything about the boats so I lost my patience and swam back across. On the other side I saw smoke from a fire and headed for it, hoping to dry off before going further. Instead of a fire, all I found was an abandoned camp. A bloody carcass laid strewn among the smoldering fire I had seen from the water. Whatever happened must have been recent for it to still be smoking. All I found worth keeping was a book titled, 'The Exodus'. Guess someone should have taken the title to heart. After I read it, I felt I had a better grasp of summoning my healing power, just a little.  
The rasp of Lydia's axe brought me out of my reading trance. A large mudcrab was attacking the camp, its claws snapping at her ankles. It could not have been a mudcrab that killed this person, could it? We both gave its shell a crack then divided up its claws for eating later. All this was done in silence between us.

We moved on, more wary of the burrowing creatures. A grove of dead wood revealed a stone standing in the middle. Carved into its side was the picture of a mage with a staff and pointy hat. Whatever it did, I was content with my warrior's blessing and passed on it, as did Lydia. Being wary of the mudcrabs left me blind to the numerous pods of smelly fungi laying in wait. I would definitely need new boots by the time I got back to Whiterun. While searching for a rag to clean my boots off, I came across two small soul gems I had forgotten about. I grabbed my dead bow and tried to recharge it using the gems. It turned out to be easier than I thought but the power of the bow felt weaker, even after the second gem. Hopefully it would last the rest of the trip.

We finally reached a road and decided to stop for a lunch of cold beef sandwiches, apples, and ale. After eating, I was in a little better mood but I was still resentful of Lydia for getting rid of my skooma. Who did she think she was, anyway? She was sworn to protect me and my property, not dictate how I lived. What if all my followers and companions were like that? Perhaps it was just the women.

Before I could get myself too worked up again, a man passed by on the road, but kept his distance. He apologized for seeming rude, but he was afflicted and on his way to seek healing. I noticed his sickly appearance and gave him all the room he wanted. I almost pitied him until he suggested I seek a healer myself, by the look of me. He took his leave and Lydia just looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

"Not a word," I said and continued heading southeast.

After exchanging words with a pompous noble on his way to a wedding, I stopped at the foot of a large hill with some sort of stone fortress on top of it.

"Labyrinthian," Lydia said, backing away.

"This? I've heard of it, actually. Some temple built long ago to worship dragons, wasn't it?"

"Yes. The dragon priests would come here and do the worst of their rituals. We should not go into it."

"Dragon priests? Yeah, I think I'll definitely avoid that mess. If I'm finding Deathlords in abandoned ruins, I can imagine what's waiting in there. We'll go around."

Going around, however, was no mean feat. We had to go around the entire walled temple which was basically built on top of a small mountain. We finally got around it enough to start heading south again when I heard a dragon roar. Judging by the sound of it, a big dragon. We climbed to the top of a wooded hill and suddenly the dragon's roar scared to chitins out of us. We prepared for battle, getting our bows out but to our shock, it landed and came after us on foot. It could not get through the trees, however and that was where I made my stand, peppering it with flaming arrows. Lydia stood on the edge of the trees, bashing it with her battleaxe. Finally it had had enough and bathed both of us in a gale of ice breath. Even being a Nord, the breath drained me of my stamina and weakened me considerably. The dragon took flight and I scarfed down three small potions to quickly heal. We both waited for it to return as it circled the peak. Lydia swung her arms in circles to loosen them up from the frost effects.

When the beast returned it stopped to hover and I knew it was going to attack with his breath again. This time I tried an experiment and hit it with my force shout.

"Fus Ro!"

The shock wave hit the dragon and its head reared back, stopping it from breathing down on us. It flew off. I now knew that I could stop those attacks before they started, like bashing an opponent in mid-swing. These dragons would soon be mine to control. The dragon must have known it had met its match because it refused to land again until we had damaged its wings too much for it to fly. Once it was grounded, we attacked it from both sides relentlessly. It died dramtically, looking up into the sky and spreading its wings before falling over. I soaked in its soul.

I realized it is getting late from all of our detours and we still had a way to go before we reached Riverwood. I told Lydia to keep an eye open for some place to stop. My destiny proved useful once again because at the bottom of the mountain we came across a cottage. The garden outside was well tended but no one seemed to be about. In the fading light I could just make out a name on the front door, 'Drela'.

I knocked but no one answered. Hopefully someone would be there and let us stay. All this mountaineering had kept my mind off my body's nagging for skooma but I could feel the weakness creeping into my muscles. I tried the door and it was unlocked so we went inside. No sooner was the door closed than I heard a sword being drawn.

"Never should have come here," a voice threatened. From around a corner came an elven mage.

"We didn't mean to intrude..." I started to say.

He launched an attack of ice against us before I could finish my sentence. His focus was on Lydia since she was closer so I charged in and pummeled him with a barrage of powerful downward slashes. He fell down but steadied himself against an enchanter's table. I was amazed he was still breathing. He turned his spell on me. His power was too weak now, however, and I was able to subdue the elf with two more stabs to the chest. Lydia turned his head into liquid cowl filler with one last blow.

Lydia was almost blue from the ice spell and breathing heavy, barely able to hold her axe. I called upon the spell I had bought from Farengar and laid my hands upon her arm. I tapped into my healing energy and allowed it to flow through my hands and into her. Instantly, she perked up and her color returned to normal.

"So are you a priest now?" she asked, too surprised to argue.

"Well, I do enjoy laying on hands," I said, relieved she was improving.

"Don't I know it. Thank you, Ralos. You can let go now, I feel better."

I helped her stand and together we searched the little home. We had not meant to raid the house but since we had been forced to defend ourselves, might as well make the most of it. We found no one else and nothing to warrant the elf's sudden defense of his house. He must have gone mad, living alone and so close to Labyrinthian and that dragon. Lydia did find a staff that she said looked like the kind that summoned familiars.

"Now how do you know that?" I asked. "I thought you were just a warrior housecarl?"

She actually blushed. "I just do, all right. I recognized it from somewhere."

I folded my arms and waited for more.

"All right, fine. I spent some time with a wizard friend and he had a collection of staves he let me practice with."

"So he let you handle his staff?"

"Pig."

I laughed but then stopped as a thought occurred to me. "Wait. You don't mean Farengar, do you?"

She paused then added the staff to her stuff, "Did you see any other wizards in Whiterun? It was a long time ago, besides."

"Yeah, but,...eww." I shuddered.

"Isn't there anything to eat in here?"

She walked off, grumbling about starving to death. I let it drop, for now.

I could not stand the thought of eating anything out of the mad mage's house so we had a dinner from our own stores then tried to sleep for the night.


	14. Day Twelve

Day Twelve

The morning brought little relief since I had spent the worst night of sleeping ever. Lydia would not admit it but she still looked a little cold from the mage's spell so I insisted she take the one narrow bed. My problem was not just the floor, though. Just being in the mage's house gave me nightmares. All night long I half expected he would return as a draugr and kill us in our sleep. Add to that my lack of sweet skooma and I was in a mood to kill anything that moved.  
I did not think I could keep much down so my breakfast was some plain bread, an apple, and two bottles of mead. Lydia looked healthier and was able to eat more than I dared. I moved the mage's cold body to his bed. Leaving him in a heap by his enchanter table seemed too callous, even for a mage. We left early, heading southeast.

We did not get far before we ran into a pack of three grey wolves. Before they could reach us, however, a fourth wolf appeared, this one glowing white. It reminded me of the wolf I saw outside of Anise's cabin. It leapt ahead of us and started attacking the other wolves. Between the three of us, we made short work of the wolves.

"Did you do that?" I asked Lydia, pointing at the ghostly wolf.

"With this," she said, holding up the staff she found in the house. "I thought you knew what a familiar was?"

"I had an idea, but I've..."

The wolf familiar lifted his head and howled. The sound was hollow and eerie, making me think maybe it was communing with its new spectral brothers. With a snarl, it disappeared. That would take some getting used to.

Later in the morning I finally saw Whiterun in the distance off to the left as well as the Western Watchtower. To the right I saw a large fort I did not notice the last time I was at the watchtower. Lydia claimed it was rundown and abandoned but I was pretty sure I could see smoke rising from the courtyard. It was not on our way so I forget about it. It is most likely bandits. They would have plenty of opportunity to feel the bite of my blade as I opened their throats as Ruler.

We reached Riverwood before midday and I was able to sell more stuff we had picked up. At Alvor's, I decided to sell my ancient sword and buy a new steel greatsword. It had no special properties to it but it was lighter and more flexible. I helped myself to his grindstone and sharpened the edge to my satisfaction. I would not have to worry about recharging it with crystals. I just had to find a way to recharge myself.

On my way to the Sleeping Giant Inn to see about this horn thief, I ran into the blonde Nord, Sven again. He told me he took my suggestion and showed me the letter he wrote. It was full of lies, which I did not recall telling him to write. He asked me to take a moment to give it to Camilla and tell her it was from Faendal. If he only knew how my head was aching and my mood was careening down a dark chasm, he never would have trusted me. Since he did not, however...

"Sure thing, friend," I told him, "Anything for you. Just leave it to me."

He seemed taken aback by my sudden mood shift but thanked me and walked off. I quickly found Camilla at the store and threw the letter down on the table in front of her.

"Here. This is from Sven. In case you needed to be told, he's a loser and a liar. He's jealous of someone named Faendal and wants you to think this letter is from him. I suggest you take that claw I found for you and give that bard an excuse for singing soprano."

"Wait," she interrupted, "What does the letter say?" She read it. "Oh my. Sven wrote this? Thank you for telling me. Could you tell Faendal for me, please? I've got a Nord to find."

I said I would, if it only took a minute. To her credit, she nodded then actually did take the claw with her.

Near the blacksmith's, an old lady was able to point me in the direction of Faendal who was chopping wood by the river.

"Are you Faendal?" I asked the elf.

"Why yes, I am, friend. How may I help you?"

"Actually, I'm here to help you. Do you know the bard, Sven? Word has it he's been planning on playing 'Hide the Honeynut Treat' with your woman, Camilla. He also said to stay away from her or he'll use your pointy ears as picks for his lute." So I embellished.

The elf was seething and his knuckles turned white on his axe handle. "I knew that prancing Nord was up to no good. Let's see how well he plays that lute with it sticking out his..oh, sorry, my lady. I didn't see you there."

Lydia held her hands out. "I want no part of this."

Faendal turned to me, "Thank you for telling me. Here's some gold I've been saving from the mill. If you'll excuse me..."

The elf jogged away towards the inn.

"Pleased with yourself?" Lydia said, "You know Sven will probably be floating face down past Whiterun within the hour."

I breathed deep and pocketed the twenty-five gold I had just earned. "You don't have to cheer me up. I already feel better. Let's go see if this ambitious thief has as much luck with trying my patience as our friend, Sven."

Back at the road, Sven raced past me being chased by Camilla and Faendal, both waving weapons and calling for his head.

"You're nothing but trouble!" Sven yelled at me breathlessly as he broke for the woods.  
Inside the inn, I found Delphine sweeping the floor.

"So, you're here this time," I said, "I guess it's too early to be off galavanting the Nine knows where and leaving the inn unattended so no one can even rent a stinking room."

Delphine calmly turned to the barkeep, "Orgnar, no more mead for this one."

"What? I'm not drunk."

"Well, it's not a full moon."

"I'll show you a full moon," I said and turned around.

Lydia turned me back around. "We are just here to rent the attic room," she said.

"Oh, well we don't have an attic room..."

"Ha!" I said.

"...but you can have the room on the left."

"We don't need a r..." I started to say before Lydia grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the room.

"Just go," she said, "Something about her doesn't seem right. Most women would have called Orgnar over to deal with you, especially someone who is just an innkeeper. She wasn't worried about you at all."

"That's true," I said as I took a seat in the tiny room. "Women are usually either terrified or turned on by me. She did not react to me at all. Hey, you don't suppose she's one of those women do you?"

"What? Smart?"

"No, I mean a le..."

Delphine stood in the doorway, "So you're the one who found the note? I believe you're looking for this?" she handed me a decorative horn, "I'm impressed, but we can't talk here. Follow me."

I stepped ahead of Lydia and followed the innkeeper. I had to say, she walked like she wanted my attention. We followed her to another room with a large bed where she stopped and told me to close the door. This could be getting interesting. I did as she asked, grinning knowingly. Instead of talking, she opened a tall wardrobe, revealing a hidden passage leading down to a basement. My grin vanished. I began to wonder how far I should trust this thief who obviously was merely posing as an innkeeper. I followed her down the stairs, loosening my sword in its scabbard as I went.

I was suspicious but the dimness of the basement eased my headache and my anger faded a little. Delphine stood on the other side of a table as if to keep something between us. That was not very trusting of her.

"So you're the one who went in there and took the horn all by yourself?" I asked.

"I had to," she said, "I knew the Greybeards would send you there as a test. They are too predictable. But just because they think so, that doesn't mean you are the Dragonborn."

"Of course I am," I said, "I have dragon blood coursing through my veins and I consume their souls like normal people swill mead. The forces of nature quake..."

"All right, all right. I had to make sure you weren't some Thalmor trap."

Lydia spoke up, "Why are you looking for the Dragonborn?"

"Because the Dragons are not just returning, they are coming back to life. I've visited the dragon mounds and found them empty. We need your help to stop it."

I laughed, "Stop it? I welcome the dragons. I plan on taming them for my own use. They will not only listen, but obey."

"Really?" Now it was her turn to laugh, "I happen to know where we can find one. Let's go see if you can 'tame' this one. I would like to see that."

"You're on, innkeeper. I have to make one stop first to deliver this horn. Destiny will not wait for a single dragon. Tell me where to meet you."

"Fine. Meet me in Kynesgrove, no later than Sundas. I have some things to do anyway."

"I'll bet you do," I said, winking. "What's her name?"

"What?"

Lydia grabbed my arm, "Never mind him," she told Delphine, "He's suffering from a case of rotbrain and runningmouth. Let's go, Ralos."

I was too weak from my cravings to stop her from pulling me back up the stairs. "I just wanted to find out.."

"Yeah, yeah, I know where your mind's at. Pig."

We had a quick bite to eat, some salmon and leeks, then headed for Whiterun. For once, there were no encounters on the short walk except for a farmer on his way to join the Imperial Legion. I wanted to stop at the meadery to drown my headache, now that I could afford their exorbitant prices. Lydia suggested it would be better if I talked to the priestess Danica sober, perhaps she would be more willing to help. I was about to remind her this whole skooma-less world was her idea but a wave of nausea preceded my angry retort and I swallowed them both back. Standing with my hands on my knees and my arms shaking, I was willing to humor the idea that perhaps skooma would be better in more moderation. That was unless that Khajiit caravan was waiting up ahead. A little further and I gave up hope when their usual place is empty. We headed into Whiterun.

We stopped in front of Breezehome.

"So," Lydia said, "Is this where we part ways, Thane?"

I had to pause as I considered my words carefully. I had never had to say something like this before. "Perhaps, in some small way, I was not exactly right in what I said earlier. I would like you to accompany me to the Temple."

"You mean to say you were wrong?"

"That's kind of what I said. You know what I meant, right?"

"I know what you meant. You were wrong." She smiled.

"You know, it's not too late for me to be right and leave you here."

"Then who would get to enjoy your witty barbs and complement you on your fashion sense?"

"That's true. And who would carry all the extra stuff I wanted to sell later?"

"I am sworn to carry your burdens. Ready?"

"I suppose. Wait. You never complemented me on my fashion sense."

"I didn't? Huh. Well, your clothes are very pretty."

"Pretty in a 'manly' sense or pretty in a 'you'd like to borrow that some time' sense?"

"I'm sure your manliness will be evident through whatever clothes your wearing. Let's go."

"You're saying you can see my manliness through my clothes? No wonder you want to hang around."

"I wonder myself sometimes," she said, pulling me along. "Pig."

As soon as we entered the Temple of Kynareth, my confidence in their ability to help was shaken by the number of people lying around moaning. If that was what I would have to do, it might not be worth it. I saw the priestess on the other side of the temple and got her attention.

"Some people believe I may be suffering from an overuse of a substance," I suggested to Danica. "That is, my enjoyment of something may be interfering a little with..."

"He's addicted to skooma," Lydia said.

The priestess nodded, "You have the look of someone dying from desire. You wish to rid yourself of this demon, for that is what is tormenting you."

"I merely wish to not be so controlled by it," I said. "It has the upper hand on my mind and body and for what I have planned, there is only room at the top for one."

"Domination of this land?" she asked.

"Perhaps. How did you know?"

"Like I said, you look to be dying of desire, you are the one who thought of the skooma. You are not the first to have such plans and you will not be the last. But that is not for me to judge. You seek healing?"

"Yes. I have a small bit of money I could part with."

"My Temple lacks not for money. What we lack is faith. Our sacred tree out front is a symbol of our faith. As it withers and dies, so does the belief people have in Kynareth and what she stands for. If I could restore the Gildergreen, perhaps I could restore people's faith."

"I'm no tree doctor," I admitted, "What can I do to help with that?"

"I can revive the tree," she said, "but only with sap from the Eldergleam Sanctuary. But you can not pierce the tree with any normal blade. Only a blade called Nettlebane can do it, but it is being held by the hagraven at Orphan Rock. If you can reclaim the blade, and bring me some sap from the sanctuary, I will cure you of your demonic cravings."

"So, get a blade from an old crone, drain a sack of sap from a tree, then bring it back here? I can do that. I just have to claim my title as Dragonborn then go tame a dragon to impress an innkeeper and I'll be right back. I don't suppose there's anything you can do for me in the meantime? This all may take a day or two and I'm already kind of out of sorts."

"Come closer, I will do what I can, but until the tree is restored, my powers may be limited."

Danica put her hands to my head and a wave of soothing warmness swept over me. She dropped her hands and looked weary.

"I do not know how long it will last," she said, "Your sickness is deep and will return, perhaps worse than before. I suggest you hurry."

I left the priestess and wanted to just get going to High Rothgar now that I had my energy back. While we were inside, however, night had descended and Lydia suggested we have dinner and start early in the morning. I realized I was famished and took her idea to heart. We went to the Bannered Mare and in my improved mood I bought everyone inside a round of ale. A cheer went up from the six or seven people inside, except for one redguard woman who just peeked nervously around the corner.

After dinner we retired to Breezehome and I was not quite tired enough to sleep so after Lydia went upstairs to her room, I sat and read the Book of the Dragonborn that I had kept from Helgen. In it, there was a group called the Blades that were always looking for the Dragonborn who were not Emperors. That sounded a lot like Delphine, though she did not say so. Perhaps the Blades were not welcome. I knew once I was Emperor, I would not stand for any upstart thinking they had a right to claim a throne that I conquered. Such was the way of power - you either had it, or you are trying to get it, and those who had it would do whatever they had to to keep it. Finally sleep, and four more ales, had caught up to me and I climbed upstairs to bed.


	15. Day Thirteen

Day Thirteen

My dreams of being Emperor vanished with the coming of morning, as did the blessing bestowed upon me by Danica. I could already feel a desperate hunger growing in my mind. It was Lydia who had woken me and she looked disappointed at my condition as I swung my legs out of the bed and held my head in my hands.

"Do you swear you will return here and help Danica restore the Gildergreen so she may cure you?" Lydia asked.

"This already? I just opened my eyes. Of course," I said, my mouth feeling full of cotton, "I told her as much. Other events can not wait, however. I will just have to push through them."

"But do you swear?"

"Yes, I swear," I said, a little too loud.

I heard a clink next to me. I looked down at the bed and saw two bottles of skooma by my hand. I wanted to grab them and empty them immediately but I restrained myself and looked at my housecarl.

"I need you to be strong," she said, "until we return. I have more, but I will keep them until they are needed. You swore to return. If break that vow, you won't have to worry about having a nursemaid. That is my vow."

I grabbed the bottles but I did not drink them in front of her.

"We should be going soon," she said, "We have a long way to go before Sundas."

I let her leave then waited until the pain was too much to bear.

To cut down on our travel time, we journeyed to Iverstead the same way we did before by cutting through the mountains using the long winding path. This time, the troll by the river was gone and nothing had moved in to take its place. The walked back up the seven thousand steps was even more boring since everything was dead, until we met the frost troll again. I hated to admit it but once again we were forced to run past him. Perhaps I needed to get some better armor to withstand the powerful swipes of this monster's arms. At least I would know where to find him when I was ready.

Inside High Rothgar, I tracked down Arngeir and handed him the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller. He said I had proven myself worthy of the title of Dragonborn and would bestow upon me the final word of power for Unrelenting Force. He instructed the other Greybeards to meet in the chamber by the entrance and Master Wulfgar taught me the word, 'Dah'. I could already feel the power of the Shout waiting to emerge. First, however, Arngeir insisted on a final initiation. They would use their Voice to speak to me in the dragontongue. He said few could withstand the unbridled power of the Voice. I told Lydia to wait outside then stood in the middle of the chamber. They began their chant and the ground trembled as they welcomed the new Dragonborn.

Arngeir was more civil now and told me High Rothgar was open to me. I took that to mean that what was their's was also now mine so I helped myself to whatever potions and food I found lying around. The bottles I found looked sort of like health potions but when I asked, Arngeir said they replenished your health slowly for a period of time. I took them anyway then bade the Greybeards farewell. Before I left, Arngeir told me if I was interested in learning more words of power, to ask and they may know of some locations for the dragonwalls.

Outside, I found Lydia sharpening the blade of her axe with a whetstone.

"Are we done here?" she asked, "I nearly fell over the side of the mountain when they started their chanting. They could have warned me the ground would shake so."

"Sorry. I don't think they remember their own power. We'll leave in just a minute. There's still one thing I must do before I go."

With Lydia behind me I stood looking out over the mountainside and summoned the power of my newly revealed Shout. "Fus Ro Dah!"

I could see the wave of energy spread out through the air and the echo could probably be heard back down in Iverstead. I turned to Lydia. "Let's go say hello to our friend the frost troll."

We headed back to the troll's lair and I spotted him on his usual hang out on top of the cave. I got my burning bow out and sent a steel shaft into him to get his attention. The shot enraged him, causing him to jump up and down and pound on the ground with his claws. I hit him with two more arrows as he lurched towards us on all fours. I lured him in close then let loose with my new Shout. The force of it surprised even me. The troll was propelled back like a child's doll.

Lydia and I rushed in to hack and slash at it with our weapons. After a few moments, it got back up and staggered me with two blows to the head. The troll roared and I took the opportunity to retreat since his attack had left me bloody and disoriented. As I ran, I gulped down three healing potions and one of the regeneration potions from the Greybeards. The troll ran after me.

I was pretty sure I would run out of potions before he died from our blades so I thought of a better idea. I tried some evasive moves, ducking and rolling from his long arms, until I got the troll at the edge of the mountain. I began my shout and at the last moment I saw Lydia charge in for a strike. It is too late to stop.

The force of the shout collided into the troll and also caught Lydia on its fringe. They both went sliding down the side of the mountain. Immediately I ran through the snow to reach Lydia. Even at this distance I could see she was severely hurt as she struggled to stop herself from sliding. The troll was a little ways in front and to the left of her and I saw him disappear as he pitched over the side. I thought I was about to see the same happen to Lydia but a small outcropping of rock jutted through the snow. She was able to snag the rock with one hand. As soon as I reached her I grabbed her arms and pulled her further from the edge. I pushed my healing powers into her damaged body before she could get any worse. We locked eyes and I saw terror in them briefly, slowly replaced with relief. My magic reserves ran out and though she was still hurt, she was out of danger.

"Thank you, Ralos," she said, "Give me a moment while I finish healing."

"I'm sorry for knocking you down the side of the mountain, Lydia," I said, "I didn't know you were about to run up and hit him."

"We'll discuss your lack of planning later. Is the troll dead?"

I got as close to the edge as I could and I finally spotted the large white body lying motionless beside two grey boulders. I carefully scooted back to where Lydia was resting, her wounds mostly healed.

"He's dead. It wasn't quite as satisfying as I was hoping and I don't have a troll head for a trophy to put in Breezehome, but I'd say I got the last word in. Get it? Word?"

"You're as funny as you clever. Now help me back up to the road. I've had enough of this mountain."

"Sure, take my hand.. hey, what did you mean by that?"

The walk down to Iverstead was boring but beautiful as night was beginning to fall. The northern lights played ribbons of color across the starry, moonless night. The map did not show anything between here and Kynesgrove so we just decided to call it a night and get an early start. The regulars at the inn, however, had other ideas. They noticed how beat up we looked and when I recounted the tale of our trials on the mountain, they all listened with rapt attention then cheered at the end. Even Narfi was there, though he cheered at the wrong times.

They bought us a round of drinks for ridding them of the troll and a little later the guards showed up and wanted to hear the story. I told it again, maybe with an occasional embellishment, and they bought us drinks as well. This went on for most of the night. Eventually I was so drunk that Narfi was making more sense than I was. The barmaid, Lynly Star-sung, offered to sing me a ballad of our adventure for just five gold.

"I'll pay twice has mush to hear yur lovey voice," I slurred.

She was so flattered, she blushed from her cheeks to her amply exposed cleavage. She said she had another ballad she would like to sing, but for my ears only. She hinted that I follow her as she walked away. I found Lydia dozing at a nearby table, the remains of an apple pie and several bottles of mead all around her.

"The bed's all yurs, Lyda," I told her, whispering loudly. "Don't wake me too early."

As I walked away to follow the singer, I heard from behind me, "Pig."

I smiled and made pig noises all the way to the room.


	16. Day Fourteen

Day Fourteen

The next morning, Lynly did not stir when I left the bed. She had earned the rest. I drank the second bottle of skooma Lydia gave me to help clear my head and settle my stomach. I felt new again. The same could not be said for Lydia, however. It seemed the drinking continued after I left and Lydia was determined to hold up her end. This morning she was holding her head over a bucket when I found her. I left her to empty the rest of her stomach and I gathered some food for our breakfast and more for the journey to Kynesgrove.

Lydia appeared shortly after, looking like she just bit into a mushy apple and found the core filled with half-bitten worms. I offered her some food to ease her symptoms.

"Mammoth cheese curd?" I said.

She recoiled, holding it at arm's length.

"Cold Slaughterfish stew?"

She drew her dagger, "Offer me any more food and you'll be eating your next meal through the hole I carve in your throat."

I put the food away, "All right, I guess we're ready to go. You can eat later on the way."

As we were leaving, Lynly Star-sung appeared, looking a bit disheveled but smiling at me.

"A pleasant journey, my Lord," she said then nodded at Lydia. "Housecarl."

Lydia flipped a coin to her. "For singing lessons, barmaid."

"Her pipes are just fine to me," I said in her defense.

"As is your pipe, my Lord." Lynly said.

Lydia left, holding her stomach, "I think I'm going to be sick again."

We left Iverstead heading northeast, past the troll cave across the river and down the mountainside along a narrow dirt road. Nothing impeded our progress and Lydia seemed to be recovering from her night of drinking as we walked. At the bottom of the mountain I saw a fort near a high falls. We avoided getting anyone's attention from it. The trek down the mountain was uneventful but took a while and Sundas would be here soon. We kept going north until we ran into an area filled with pools and hot springs, spewing fountains of steam into the air. One pool actually had a group of scantily clad sun worshippers in it. They did not pay us much attention as we passed by. I assumed the women's silence came from too much time in the sun. I would have to remember where this little spot was for later, however.

We did not get much further before I heard the distant roar of a dragon. I stopped and looked around. I spotted one peak that looked like it could have a dragon's nest. A dragon appeared through the clouds surrounding it, circling and diving as it flew. As long as it stayed there, it would not have to die, especially since I was in a hurry. We topped one more rise and the ground shook as the dragon swooped past our heads and let loose a deafening roar of challenge. Never turn your back on a dragon.

"You should have left well enough alone, dovah," I said, and reached for my Bow of Embers.

Despite the landscape being mostly hot springs and stretches of barren dirt, the dragon had the misfortune of attacking while we were near a small stand of trees. He had the upper hand of being able to hover and breathe down his icy attacks from relative safety, but he soon learned our bows could be deadly accurate. This time, my force shout did not stop his breath attack, but it did delay it enough for us to take cover behind a tree or rocky hill. We wore him down with our bows then with axe and sword until finally I charged in and delivered a vicious cut across his snout followed by a leaping stab down between his eyes.

No sooner had I absorbed his metallic soul than a fireball knocked me off my feet. Before I got up I quickly drank a couple of red potions then searched for the source of the attack. I heard Lydia cursing. I followed her voice to find her pounding her battleaxe against a necromancer's magical shield. He was slowing her with an ice spell. I disrupted the mage's concentration with a powerful blow to his side, nearly taking his arm off. He crumpled and cried surrender. I had seen this rouse before and I opened his ribcage to the sun. Two more mages and a reanimated skeleton appeared and met similar fates. These mages were no match for a Dragonborn that could Shout them over a hill.

Lydia stumbled across an alter they must have been using along with several long dead skeletons languishing in pools of sulfuric water. I emptied the urns around the alter of their coins and left the rest for scavengers.

"It is not too late, Ralos," Lydia said, "I believe we are close to Kynesgrove according to the map. We have time to check that peak where the dragon was circling. There may be another one of those dragonwalls up there like the one near Labyrinthian."

"That's true. Or there could be another dragon."

Lydia shrugged. "If there is, perhaps this one will listen to the new Dragonborn. And if it won't, you will have more bones to sell."

"Those bones are pretty damn heavy," I said, "What the Hells am I supposed to do with them?"

"I don't know. You could probably use the scales to make a bad-ass shield."

"Why not make a whole suit of armor out of the bones? Wouldn't that look hideous? I wonder what that stuck up bitch in Solitude would say if she saw me walk into the Blue Palace wearing that?"

"She'd probably run away screaming."

"She would if she saw you coming after her again. Come on, let's go see what's up there."

At the base of the peak I saw mammoths not too far off, though I did not see any giant herding them. The path up the small mountain was tough to follow but the dragon I killed must have been the one using the roost since it was empty when we got there. There was in fact a dragonwall. The word revealed was 'cold' and I felt it was the second word of power to go along with 'frost' that I had found on the way to Ustengrav. I allowed the dragonsoul to show me the word's power. I was tempted to try it on one of the rocks but I had had my fill of ice and frost from mages and dragons. I would wait until I needed it. There were two chests as well, one containing an orcish sword and some potions, the other come coins. We left and continued on north.

Lydia was right. Kynesgrove was not much further and within the hour we were approaching the town. Hopefully it would be easy to find Delphine. She would probably be in the inn since snow has started to fall. Near the town, a woman ran past warning us to run away or become dragon food. I stopped her and was about to slap her out of her hysterics but Lydia stayed my hand with an iron grip. I glared at Lydia for interrupting but she seemed not to notice. I would forgive her this one time.

"You said there was a dragon?" Lydia asked the woman, holding her by her arm. "Was there a woman up there as well?"

"I don't know," she answered, "And I'm not standing around to find out. Now let go of me you stupid cow."

The woman twisted her arm free and fled from the town.

"I should have let you slap her," Lydia said.

"Next time you'll know better."

"It's about time you arrived," another voice called out.

I looked up the road and saw Delphine, though the thickening snowfall made it difficult. We caught up to her by the inn.

"The Dragonborn makes his own schedule, according to his own destiny," I reminded her.

Delphine looked at Lydia. "Is he always like this?"

"It's a work in progress, but yes. Sounds like we're not too late, though."

"Actually, you're right on time."

"As I knew we would be," I said, forcing them to see how fate dances to my beat. "Lead us to this dragon and I will show you how a Dragonborn deals with his subjects."

"Let's hope that blade is as sharp as your tongue. Follow me."

Delphine led us up a hill away from the town. I could see a huge dragon flying in circles at the top. Somehow this one looked familiar to me. I wondered if it was the one that helped free me from the Imperials' clutches at Helgen. I was so distracted I nearly tripped over the toasted body of a Whiterun guard.

"By the Nines," Delphine gasped, "That's Alduin. This is worse than I thought."

At the top of the hill we took cover behind some boulders as Alduin hovered over what Delphine called a burial mound. He began speaking in dragon. I felt I should know the words but they evaded my recollection. Smoke geysered from the mound then rocks were thrown into the air as something emerged from the ground. I was stunned as I watched the full skeleton of a dragon claw its way out into the open air. Alduin continued to speak and then the skeleton started talking as well. As it talked, flesh and then scales appeared over its skeletal frame. It spoke but the only word I understood was Dovahkiin. I stepped away from the rock and Alduin turned to face me, although I was sure he knew I was there the whole time.

"You do not even know our tongue, do you?" he said, "Such arrogance."

"I know your tongue will make a fine stew, Alduin."

The dragon laughed.

"No," Delphine warned me, "You mustn't. Not to the World-eater."

Alduin spoke again to the other dragon then flew away. The reborn dragon stretched his golden wings.

"I am Sahloknir. Hear my voice and despair!"

The dragon took flight and I reached for my bow.

"You are a fool to talk to Alduin so," Delphine told me, readying her own bow.

"Then why did he flee from me like a mewling kitten? He knows who has the real claws in this fight."

Our talk was put on hold as Sahloknir swept past us, breathing fire down upon the three of us. It took a while but our three bows eventually caused enough damage to him to force him to land. He began to crawl after me, leaving a bloody trail behind him. He snapped at me and tried to engulf me in his flames but I proved to be too nimble for him around the boulders. He singed me a few times but not for long enough to where I could not use my healing magic to heal it. Delphine and Lydia continue to harry him with their bows. His frustration became evident.

"My Lord Alduin requires your death, human," he said in his deep, rumbling voice, "I am glad to oblige him."

"The only thing Alduin requires," I said, "is to know I am not the one to be trifled with."

I leapt onto a boulder and jumped down in front of Sahloknir. My sword cut deep into his head and neck. He tried to snap his jaws onto me but I rocked his head back with my Shout of force. The three of us laid into him with our blades and mine was the final stroke, piercing his eye and exposing his brain to the cool air.

Sahloknir erupted into flames and I breathed in his soul like smoke from a skooma pipe. Once he was back to nothing but bones, Delphine sheathed her sword and approached me.

"I don't believe it. You truly are the Dragonborn."

"Was there ever any doubt? Of course, it seems I won't have a chance to tame any of them until I deal with this Alduin."

"True, you weren't able to control him, but you did absorb his soul. It appears I owe you some answers. Ask whatever you want, I'll hold nothing back."

"Who are you really?"

"I'm part of the Blades, protectors of the Septim Emperors, but now we are all but forgotten."

"So you are sworn to protect me?"

"Well, uh, we seek out the dragonborn in the hopes that he will bring an end to Alduin's rise."

"You've found him, Honey," I said, "Now what?"

"I need you to do something for me..."

"Wait, wait, wait. I just did something for you. You asked me to prove I was the Dragonborn and I've done that. Now what are you going to do for me? Calm down, Lydia, I saw that eye roll. That's not what I meant... well, not entirely."

"The Thalmor are after the Blades and they have information..."

"Not interested."

"Wha..what?" Delphine stammered.

"I've got a realm to conquer first. These dragons, and the Thalmor as well, will be brought to heel just as soon as I've taken care of a few other things first. Now, in case I need to find you, where are you going to be? Wait. Never mind, I'll just find you when the time comes. I bid you farewell, Delphine. Destiny awaits."

I waved for Lydia to follow and went back down the hill towards Kynesgrove.

"It sounded like she had more important things to say," Lydia told me. "Why did you just leave her standing there with her mouth open like some court fool?"

"I am the Dragonborn, Lydia. I am not of a mind to take anymore instructions from others who say they know what I should be doing. And besides, I made a vow to someone and I must see to that first, lest I be called a liar. All else can wait."

That left Lydia speechless. I should have thought of that before.

I stopped at the inn for lunch and to rest from the fight. Lydia suggested we ask for directions back to Whiterun. I scoffed, assuring her I knew the way. She looked skeptical, but prepared to leave anyway.


	17. Day Fourteen Part Two

Day Fourteen Part Two

I kept us going at a brisk pace and we soon came to a river where I decide to follow along the bank. Up ahead I saw a cabin and I could hear a the growls of a bear nearby. I spotted the bear poking his nose out of the cabin. With not much cover around, I decided we should cross the river, since our route did not go exactly towards the cabin anyway and the water was low there. Lydia did not argue. She knew bears could hit almost as hard as trolls, if not more. On the other side we followed the road, keeping an eye behind us in case the bear decided to follow. That was why we did not see the bear that was lying in the road in front of us until we were already upon it.

The brown bear had our scent and was standing up on his hind legs. There was no avoiding this one. I managed to get one arrow loose before he closed the distance. Lydia summoned one of her spectral wolves then laid into it with a sword, her staff in her other hand. I had forgotten she still had a sword as a backup weapon. I got one powerful slice at the bear's shoulder and he reeled back slightly but then one of his claws connected with my arm and it went numb instantly. I ran back and the bear took out Lydia's familiar with a single swipe. It then went after Lydia. I quickly healed while Lydia dodged and got in a good shot at the bear's exposed side. The bear reared up again and caught Lydia off guard with two slashes from his claws. She went down on one knee and the bear must have taken her for dead. He charged at me again. This time, I was ready for him.

I moved to the right just enough then used my full force shout on him. Despite his ponderous weight, the bear sailed into the air and tumbled over the low rocks on the edge of the road. I ran over and looked down the side to see him roll into the river below. After a moment, he seemed to recover but then he was struggling against the current as well. That gave us enough time to be gone. I helped Lydia up and applied my healing magic to the gaping claw marks, sealing them and restoring some of her energy.

"How was that for planning, this time?" I asked.

"That worked out well, of course it would have been nice if you had done that before he nearly took my head off. We'll work on your timing next, Dragonborn."

Lydia started to walk away then noticed I was not following and stopped. "Problem?"

"I get us out of that bear trap and you're still not happy," I said, "There's just no pleasing you, is there?"

"I wouldn't say that, Ralos. Perhaps you'll get your chance after all.

Coming...along, that is?"

I watched Lydia walk on up the road, not unappreciatively, mind you. But now, I was even more confused.

The weather held so the walk was pleasant. We did not encounter anything of interest until we were crossing a bridge by a raging waterfall and I noticed someone trapped by a fallen tree on the side. After some deft rock climbing, I reached the man but he had already perished, and judging by the smell, a while ago. I helped myself to the scattering of possessions he left behind. I found two books of interest. The first was titled 'Rislav the Righteous' which demonstrated how best to layer light armor for a better fit. The other was even more interesting, 'The Lusty Argonian Maid Vol.1'. This ought to make for an entertaining read along the road. Perhaps Lydia would enjoy it as well, though I doubted as much. I also found a small idol in the corner, a shrine to Dibella. I touched the stone and a feeling of eloquence came over me. Hopefully it would last by the time I got to a trader and sold some of my extra crap.

A little further down the road things started to look familiar and then I saw Valtheim Keep and I knew I was getting close to Whiterun. I walked past the bridge towers and I almost wished there were still bandits there so I could shout them off into the river. I started laughing to myself thinking about it and Lydia looked at me strangely as if wondering if the pressure was getting to me. I let her wonder.

Just before we topped another hill, I saw magic being used off to my right amongst a ring of stones. Evil laughter filtered down and I wanted to go and investigate to see if I could rid this area of more creatures of darkness. I decided against it but jotted it down on my map to check later. We continued along the road until some hooligans started raining catcalls down to Lydia from a rocky ledge. She answered back with references to their mothers' questionable hygiene, which I don't think they expected, then started shouting threats.

"Can we?" she asked.

It was getting close to dark but how could I refuse such lovely eyes filled with bloodlust? "Why not? Perhaps I'll get some more loot to sell."

We followed the path leading up to them. The first one, the loudest, charged with a warhammer ready to strike but he missed wildly and paid for his overswing. Lydia knocked him back and I finished him off by running him through with my sword. The other bandit tried picking us off with a bow but only managed to anger Lydia further. She killed him before I could even reach her to help.

"Hey look, a cave," she said. "Wonder what's inside."

I finished checking their bodies and a nearby chest, but did not find much of interest. "Might be more bandits."

"Might be more loot. Still saving for your rise to power, aren't you?"

"Let's go get them, then," I said, leading the way.

Inside the cave I first ran into an old man sitting at a table. I readied my bow but he spoke first. I could never get the hang of sneaking around.

"Who's that? Rodulf, is it you?"

Lydia whispered in my ear, "He must be blind. Let's just go around him."

Her whispering sent an unexpected shiver through me that was hard to ignore. I forced myself to focus on the old man. Blind or not, he could still raise an alarm.

"Yes," I said, "It is just me, Rodulf."

Even in the dark I could see Lydia mouth, "Are you stupid?"

"Better go see the boss at the top of the mountain quickly," the old man said, "He's in a foul mood for sure."

I did not risk saying anything else and we just slipped past him, though he did perk his head up for a moment.

"You're smelling a little sweet today, Rodulf? Been rolling around with the boss' woman again?" He cackled until he coughed.

We moved on as quietly as possible.

Three more bandits succumbed to our thorough cleansing process. A dresser nearby yielded a fine set of clothes that I packed up to take with me. A bit further and I could overhear an orc talking about training wolves like dogs. I decided to put him to the test and pulled a chain that I saw would release his nearby caged wolf. While the orc and another bandit were busy fighting off the wolf, I noticed two bandits with bows watching from a ledge. Lydia and I took them out with just a few well placed shafts to their chests. The wolf took care of the orc and his partner but then turned on us on his way out. That was gratitude for you. We threw its corpse on the pile and moved on after a quick search. The uphill trail lead to a tunnel that opened to the outdoors.

I spotted their boss sitting with his back to us staring out over the side of the mountain. Even better. I tried exceptionally hard to creep as close as possible then fired two arrows in quick succession. Lydia conjured a wolf familiar and it dashed forward towards to bandit. I stuck two more flaming arrows into him before he was able to take out the wolf. I rushed in with my greatsword and after blocking his first strike, bashed him in the face and hit him with first a power stroke to his head then a slash across the throat. He fell sideways, his body lying across the railing, his blood draining down the mountainside like crimson spring runoff.

It turned out this bandit was highly successful, most likely due to his formidable hideout. I found on him a nice pair of gauntlets that I swore made me stronger just by wearing them. In a chest, Lydia found an iron battleaxe with a green glow to it. Touching it gave me an odd sensation of my stamina being drained. I took it to sell. Lydia found another staff for conjuring familiars which was good since she claimed her other one was nearly empty of power. We packed up whatever else we could, including a nice sum of gold, and left the way we came.

On the way out I told the old man the boss said he could have the rest of the night off.

"Hajvarr said that?" he asked. "He must be drunk. No sense wasting it. Thank you, Rodulf. May your next woman smell as sweet as you do now."

We left him cackling and coughing some more.

Arriving at Whiterun, I could not help but look for the Khajiit caravan that was sometimes set up outside. But they were not there and I reminded myself I had agreed to fight this thing. Inside the city, I went to Adrienne's first, then to Belethor's. On the way to the general merchant I overheard two guards already talking about a dragon at Kynesgrove. How in Tamriel did they already know about it? I sensed magework afoot. Night was coming quickly and I could feel my muscles beginning to tighten and twitch from my need for skooma. We finished at Belethor's quickly then stopped at the inn for dinner. I was tempted to ask Lydia for a bottle of skooma to tide me over. I was sure with the right tone and a little of my dry wit, she would hand over one, maybe even all of them. But then I wondered how many she actually had. If I used one now, what if I needed one in the morning when the cravings were the worst? We sat down at a table. No, I would be patient.

"Three ales!" I called out to Saadia, the server. She flinched but then ran like a rabbit being chased.

Lydia looked scornfully at me.

"What?" I asked innocently.


	18. Day Fifteen

Day Fifteen

The next morning was just as I expected as far as my need for skooma. My stomach cramped horribly and a shard of pain kept shifting from one side of my head to the other. Lydia just looked at me and tossed me a bottle. I either needed to be rid of this or find my own skooma. Having her dispense the skooma like a butcher gives a dog a bone was already getting old. I downed the sweet liquid and headed for breakfast.

Before we left for Orphan Rock, I stopped in at the temple to tell Danica we were on the way. I was hoping for another of her blessings, since that kept me clear-headed all day last time. She said she was too fatigued, however, and just sent me off with a kiss. As least there was a bit of tongue involved, mostly on my part, but it would have to do.

I checked the map for Orphan Rock. I did not like the thought of getting so close to Helgen again. Hopefully no one there would recognize me from a distance. Now that I was Thane, however, perhaps I could get them to treat me with the respect I deserved. We would see if it came to that.

The walk there is uneventful, though it did rain until we got past Riverwood, where the dirt road turned to a snowy path. I spotted the turn off marked by a large stack of rocks as usual. I kept us at a creeping pace with the hope of catching the hagraven off guard. In the forest ahead I could see witches practicing their fire and ice magic and behind them I could make out a tall rock formation which I assumed was Orphan Rock. I guess it was foolish thinking I would only have one spell thrower to deal with. Oh, well, they would bleed like the rest.

I laced my first arrow with a concentrated poison I had picked up from some chest. I let it loose at the nearest witch. She responded by creating a magic shield and running towards us. I shot another arrow, this one dipped in frostbite venom, just for the Hells of it, then got my steel witch-sticker out. The witch bragged about her power as she unleashed flames on us. A few moments later she was cowering by a fallen log, "No more, I surrender."

I decided one more was even better. As I wrenched my sword from her chest, another witch sprayed us with a spell of ice. Lydia smashed through her invisible shield. The witch kept up the ice spell on her and drew a dagger with her other hand. I switched to my bow and sent a couple of arrows into the witch's black robes. Lydia wound up and brought her axe down on the witch, splitting her like green firewood from her neck to stomach. Messy business, those witch hunts.

Suddenly a bright ball of fire filled my vision and I was thrown backwards, away from Lydia and the witch corpses. I scrambled for cover behind a stand of trees, shoveling snow onto my burning clothes and exposed flesh. I heard another fireball crash but my hearing was muffled from the first explosion and I could not tell where it landed. My hands were shaking as they glowed with my healing magic. I could see the charred skin flake off of them as they repaired themselves. I was forced to find one of the blue potions that Lydia said restored magical power in order to fully heal from the surprise attack. My hearing returned but I did not hear or see anymore fireballs raining down on us.

I also did not see Lydia.

I ran towards where I saw her last battling with the witch. There were trees and rocks and logs everywhere and it was hard to see anything on the ground. I jumped over a log and nearly landed on top of Lydia. She was crawling on her hands and knees, spitting blood, only partially done healing. Her steel armor was singed black along the edges and it looked like the rim of her helmet had started to melt. I used my healing magic on her and she managed to stand, staggering backwards a bit before catching herself.

"I hope you get all these followers you're talking about soon," she said.

"Looking out for you by myself is really taking its toll."

"Merely a matter of time, I'm sure," I said. "Are you all right?"

"Fine. I never saw that fire coming. It seems it'll take you more than a pretty smile to get that knife from the hagraven."

"I don't know. Maybe you'll be her type after all."

"That's disgusting, Ralos, and beneath you... well, it's disgusting any way. At least we know she knows we're here."

"Even so we can still attack from two sides. One of us is bound to land a lucky shot. Ready?"

"Let's do this," she said, "But let's try a little stealth this time."

We took four steps before a third witch appeared, hitting us with more shafts of ice. We took her down quickly with our bows but the whole time we had our eyes looking up at the rock for another fireball. Nothing came at us, but we knew she was still there waiting. A wooded area to the right gave us a chance to sneak closer so we took our time. We needed to get a better look at the top of Orphan Rock to see how to gain access to it. It looked isolated except for a single tree that had been laid across the span to act as a natural bridge. I noticed the side of the rock had a lot of crags and handholds I thought I could make use of.

"You wait near that bridge," I told Lydia, "I'm going to the base of the rock and see if I can climb up to the top. When I'm ready, I'll signal you and we'll rush her. Got it?"

"Lead on, Thane."

I did my best to creep down to the rock. At the base I noticed something strange in the grass. Under the bridge was a dead elf but next to her was some sort of white, glowing symbol. It looked painted on the ground but as I got closer I could feel a coldness coming from it. Some mage work, no doubt, probably meant to trap me in ice or something. I would not fall for it that easy, Haggy. I avoided it and started climbing.

Halfway up I thought I could hear the hagraven breathing, her breaths coming in long rasps. Distracted, my foot slipped on the rock. I fell back down but not all the way. The ice trap, I noticed, was directly below me. I would have to be doubly cautious. Lydia must have been watching me and called out. As soon as she did, the hagraven launched fire towards her. Lydia responded by charging across the tree with her battleaxe swinging. So much for being cautious.

I redoubled my efforts and sprang over the rock's edge. The hagraven launched another fireball at Lydia that brought her to her knees. I ran at the ugly witch and knocked her back with a vicious swing of my sword. I hit her again and I saw a glow coming from her hand like my healing magic. We must have done a lot of damage already. With her other hand, the hagraven lashed out and dragged her claws across my face. I raised my sword to block her next attempt then I heard a satisfying crunch as I jabbed my sword's pummel into her already crooked nose.

The witch must have been low on magic because she unleashed no more fireballs and kept swiping at me with her claws. Lydia returned to the fight, hitting the witch with her axe until with one more strike, she caught the witch under the chin and she fell to the ground. The hagraven tried to crawl away but I delivered one last shot that knocked her all the way back into her filthy tent.  
After taking a moment to rest and heal, I reached into the tent and pulled her back out by one bony ankle. I wiped my hand on my armor when I realized her foot was really that of a large, filthy bird. I thanked the Nines the dagger I needed was looped to her belt and not hidden on her person. I don't think Lydia would have enjoyed searching the hagraven for it.

I put the knife in my belt. Inside the tent was a chest. I was hesitant to look inside but I saw no blood or other witch ickyness on the outside so I chanced a look. Besides some coins and a potion recipe, I found a steel mace that glowed with what I could only describe as a holy aura. Just looking at it made me want to hunt down some undead creatures. I added it to my belt as well. It would at least look good on my wall at Breezehome. There was also an object sealed within a black satin sack. It was round, like a head, I thought morbidly. I undid the knot and opened the top revealing a white, many-sided sphere. As soon as I touched it a woman's voice boomed from the sky.

"A new hand touches the beacon," she said, "Journey forth to Mt. Kilkreath and ascend the steps to my temple. I will make you the instrument of my cleansing light."

I put the sphere back into the bag.

"What do you think she meant by that?" I asked Lydia.

"Who?"

"That voice. Didn't you hear it?"

"All I heard was my stomach rumbling. Lets grab what we can and get back to Whiterun. I heard the Bannered Mare was having a horker roast today." Lydia went back across the bridge.

Was I going insane? "Wait, Lydia, I want you to touch something."

"I'll bet you do. Don't you ever quit. Maybe Lynly will give it a squeeze for you. I'll be waiting by these other tents."

Lynly? Oh, yeah. That was a whole day ago and she was bringing her up?  
Women. I put the bagged sphere in my pack. I did not see much else to take. A glowing spriggan cooking atop a brazier offered up some taproot that I could probably sell, but that was it. I left with the Nettlebane and caught up to Lydia.

The trip back to Whiterun was uneventful. So uneventful in fact that we arrived well before dinnertime so I convinced Lydia to eat some apples and cheese we had so we could check out the bandit cave near the city to see if anyone had taken up residence and needed evicting. She must have been just as bored because she agreed to it without protest. Now that was a housecarl. We took a shortcut through the woods and I noticed a huge bonfire burning nearby.

"Probably just giants camping out," I said.

"You know, I hear giants like to collect shiny, valuable things, even if they have no practical use for them."

I looked at her and she had a mischievous grin on her face. "You're not suggesting we raid a giant's camp, are you? I am Thane of Whiterun. I have an honored place in this Hold and it is my sworn duty to look out for all its people, giant or otherwise. I am the moral compass that shows people the way."

"Done?"

"Yeah, I just had to say that. Let's go get some giant loot."

I thought sneaking up on a giant would be difficult since they were high up and had a good vantage point but apparently they did not expect anyone to come near them so they did not pay much attention. It helped that there was only one that I saw and I kept the bonfire between him and myself. The only chest I saw was near the bonfire but it was locked. I told Lydia to keep watch while I made use of my lockpicks. I still had at least fifty or so in my pocket. The lock was tough but snapped open like the rest. The smell was horrible, but then I realized it was the vat of mammoth cheese next to me. The wind must have shifted to blow it towards me.

Lydia crouched next to me, "Anything worth stealing, honored Thane?"

"I'll remind you this was your idea," I said, "Lets see. Some armor, some coins, I'll take those, and a necklace. Nice, do you want it?"

"Nah, it's not as nice as the gold one you gave me before. You keep it. It looks better than that Amulet of Talos you found."

I shrugged. She had a point. We left the camp undetected and while walking I switched the neck hangers. Once the necklace was on, I felt my armor tighten, as if conforming to my body better. I tried a few swings of my sword and the tighter fit did not hinder my movements at all. This necklace was a nice little find.

We swung by the routed bandit cave to check it out. The bodies were gone, no doubt wolf chow by now, but the horse was still there. I tried to move him but he put up a fight, nipping my arm. We left him there. He was untethered and free to leave so he was not my concern. Lydia wanted nothing to do with him. Perhaps the Dragonreach cook might be interested in his whereabouts, however.

A thunderstorm rolled in before we reached Whiterun and apart from getting soaked, I wondered at the wisdom of wearing so much metal as lightning flashed across the sky. I stopped at Warmaidens to sell off some stuff but the door was locked. I went up the hill to the Drunken Huntsman since he was always open. We sold the little bit we had and quickly headed towards the Temple of Kynareth to see Danica.

The priestess was checking on some of her followers when we walked in. She acted surprised to see us.

"I honestly did not expect to see you again, and I see you have the Nettlebane," she said, "You must be more desperate than I thought."

"Desperation has nothing to do with it," I assured her, "I said I would do it and I did. You could have warned us about the hagraven's power, though. We nearly became toasted flesh treats for the woodland creatures."

"I do apologize for that. I have not encountered the hagraven personally. They are too vile a creature. I would offer a healing blessing, but I am worn from today's ministrations. Perhaps later I may be up for..."

"We should probably rest before leaving in the morning," Lydia interrupted, "I'm sure you want the Gildergreen restored as soon as possible, Danica."

"Yes, you right," Danica said, sighing, "You both should eat and rest, conserve your strength for the trip to Eldergleam Sanctuary. I don't know what I was thinking."

"I know what I was thinking," I mumbled, then louder I said, "You should probably take it easy, Priestess, for the next day at least. When I return, you may have your hands full. From the tree, I mean."

Danica smiled, "From the tree, yes. The task will be long and hard."

The priestess and I both smiled and nodded. Lydia rolled her eyes and turned to leave. A voice called to us from the back of the temple.

"Did I overhear you correctly?" a man said as he approached, "Are you going to the Eldergleam Sanctuary?"

"I don't think..." I started to say.

"Why yes, we are," Lydia finished.

"I have always wanted to go. My name is Maurice Jondrelle. I know the way there. It would be my honor to show you the way and it would fulfill a dream of mine."

"I don't see how another set of eyes can be bad," Lydia said, smiling from ear to ear.

"Another set of eyes?" I said, "Remember the spider in Ustengrav? It had four sets, and it was nasty."

"I will be no trouble," Maurice insisted, "Let me buy you dinner and drinks. It is the least I can do."

"You're on," Lydia said, "Can you be ready in the morning?"

"My dear, I am always ready."

They left arm in arm, chuckling softly.

Now it was my turn to roll my eyes.


	19. Day Sixteen

Day Sixteen

I awoke the next morning in more pain than mere skooma craving could justify. Then I remembered how that little monk, Maurice had kept plying us both with drinks and sweets. He has some pretty deep pockets for a simple pilgrim. I did not trust him, and that stupid mustache of his, I just wanted to rip it off shove it down his throat on the tip of my sword and not stop until it was in the ground. Lydia had not woken me but when my eyes finally cleared I saw a bottle on the stand next to the bed. I fumbled the top off and drank it down. A moment later I spit it back out. I did not know what it was, but it was not skooma. It was watery and salty. I sniffed the bottle. It smelled like... I don't want to think about what it smelled like. I found my pack and brought out a bottle of ale and drank that down without stopping then finished off a sweetroll to get the taste out of my mouth. I dressed and went to find Lydia.

I found my housecarl at the counter of the Bannered Mare.

"You're up finally," she said, her spirits higher than usual. "I was just buying some supplies for the trip."

Hulda came up to her, "That'll be eighty gold, dear."

Maurice appeared behind me and held out his hand to the innkeeper. "I'll take care of that. It's the least I can do, Lydia. You certainly know how to show a pilgrim a good time."

I tried my best to ignore her girlish blushing. "Lydia, that bottle you left for me? Was that a gag? Because that's just what I did."

"I don't know what you mean. It was just your usual stuff."

"Well, it wasn't. Do you have another on you?"

"I'm sorry, Ralos, that was the last."

My curses are so vehement I saw Hulda reach under the counter for something sounding metallic and sharp. The bard nearby was shocked but was scribbling it down for later use.

"Meet me at the gates," I said.

I left them and hurried to the Temple of Kynareth. I searched for Danica but a young female acolyte told me she was gone harvesting herbs but did not know where she went. She ran off as my curses become animated. My head was already pounding. I might as well go and get this tree tapping over with. If I waited around I would just end up in the dungeons for killing someone who looked at me wrong.

I met Lydia and her new friend at the gates.

"That was quick," Lydia said as I approached.

"That's what the lass said," Maurice quipped.

He and Lydia laughed uproariously. I could even hear the guard at the gate next to me laughing in his helmet. My eye twitched and I thought I should move my sword to where it was not within easy reach.

Maurice caught his breath, "Ahh, but seriously, it's all in the delivery."

"I'll deliver you to Sovengard if you don't get moving," I said, "You said you knew the way."

"I do. I've been meaning..."

"Then go. I am in haste today."

Maurice shrugged and Lydia stared coldly at me but I was in no mood to care. I waved them on then followed just out of earshot. The pilgrim's voice was making my hand itch for the pommel of my sword.

The weather at least matched my mood as the cloudy skies and rain continued from last night. It did little to distract me from the sideshow in front of me. The road remained empty and uninteresting so Lydia and Maurice amused themselves with jokes, bawdy tales, and the occasional horseplay. My muscles were beginning to ache and my jaw was sore from grinding my teeth. Their antics continued until Maurice actually slapped Lydia on the butt and she squealed like a girl.

"Enough!" I yelled to them. "You're making enough noise to bring every wolf and bear in the territory down on us!"

Lydia again looked at me like I was crazy but they toned it down as we passed Valtheim Keep and she related our fight with the bandits a few days ago. He hung on her every word.

The day dragged on and the sky began to clear. We passed over a bridge and a Nord woman in studded armor was reluctant to move over for us.

"Watch where you're going, milk-drinker," she said to me.

"I doubt anyone would drink your sour milk, heifer," I responded as I passed, not wasting a glance in her direction.

"You care to back up your words? You are no Nord."

"I am Thane of Whiterun, and a true Nord. I will not be bothered by some bitter mercenary."

"Then you will die by one!"

The warrior drew her sword and ran at me. The sudden attack caught me weaponless and she landed a shot to my breastplate before I could get my guard up. I used the first shout I think of, the frost shout I had been practicing. A blast of ice engulfed her and slowed her movements. I heard a wolf near me and realized Lydia's spectral wolf was attacking her as well. I hit her once and she danced nimbly around all of us. She took out the wolf with two strikes but her moves brought her within range of Maurice. He had no weapon apparently because he tried to punch her with his bare hands. His fist bounced off her helmet and she moved to cut him. I tried to intervene but she was too fast and moved away from my strike. Unfortunately, I ended up slicing the pilgrim on the leg.

"I'm on your side," he yelled then ran off.

Lydia appeared with her staff in one hand and a sword in the other. She blocked one shot from the warrior then hit her once with her sword.

"Nice going, Thane," Lydia said. "Must you start fights with everyone?"

"I barely said anything to her," I said, "I smell a trap and your friend was conveniently here to lead us to it."

The warrior charged, yelling as she swung. I backed up out of her range then ran in for a strike of my own. I hit her once and she retreated into the woods. I gave chase and caught up to her against some rocks. Again she just barely missed with the point of her sword skittering across my armor. I thrusted my sword into her midsection, picking her up off the ground, then throwing her body against the rocks. A splash of blood seemed to point down at her corpse.

"You'll pay for that," Maurice said from behind me. He had no weapon, no armor, and was limping. I tried to keep away from him, moving among the trees.

"It was a mistake," I said, growing tired of his antics. "I missed her and hit you by accident."

"Lies!"

He kept swinging at me and would not calm down. I put my sword away and wait for him to calm. He did not and finally landed a punch on my jaw. A red haze came over me and the next thing I knew he was lying with his back against a tree and a bloody gash across his chest. A heard Lydia step behind me.

"I tried not to fight him," I said quickly, "He would not stop. He kept coming after me. Did you hear me tell him so?"

"I heard something," she said, "Not everything. I saw him trying to fight you but I couldn't hear why. What did he say?"

"He said something like, 'You'll pay for that', then kept at me. I think he really meant I'd pay for killing that woman, not hitting him by accident."

Lydia thought for a moment. "I suppose. We didn't really know him, and it was sort of suspicious we ran into someone so hellbent on a fight. Let's just go. We're almost there anyway."

We left the woods and returned to the land of hot springs.

Once across a raging river, the first thing I saw was a giant camp. It was tempting to go after their treasures but when we passed by I did not see any real cover to use to get close and I had seen the damage a giant could do with one of those clubs. I gave this one a wide berth.

Comparing the landscape to the map, I did not see anything that looked like a sacred sanctuary. I did not even see a big tree.

"Hey look, a cave," Lydia said, "I wonder if it's inside."

I was skeptical but where else could it be? "Might as well look. At least it will get us away from these springs."

The entrance of the cave turned into a long, dark tunnel and my skepticism grew with every step. Suddenly I felt a warm, fragrant draft from up ahead. At least I knew it was not a dead end. All at once the tunnel ended and opened up into an enormous cavern. There was a waterfall, trees, and colorful plant life thriving in sunlight spilling in from a hole in the ceiling. In the distance I could see a large tree standing by itself. That must be the Eldergleam. I followed the path towards it, stopping to talk for a moment with a man named Sond who was simply sitting by the water enjoying the peacefulness. I was not in the mood to talk with someone so damn cheerful.

Further on I ran into a woman named Asta who told me if I was there to see the Eldergleam I would not be able to get any closer than this. The roots of the tree were too large and numerous.

"I can with this," I said and brandished the hagraven's dagger.

"Nettlebane," she whispered, "I pray you, do not use that here. It will only bring trouble upon us."

"Trouble is what I went through to get this," I said, "I'm not going to hack the tree down, I just need some of the sap." I yelled out, "Who here has a problem with that?"

Asta backed up, holding her hands out. For a moment I thought she was going to attack me, but then I realized I was still holding the dagger while I was talking to her.

"We shall she," Asta warned, "The tree has defended itself for more years than you can count. You have been warned."

She jogged down a path towards the water where she had a knapsack and a book. She sat down to read, and watch.

"Perhaps we should take some precautions," Lydia said. "If Maurice did set a trap for us, then perhaps he warned others here that we were coming."

I agreed, but there were not a lot of precautions we could take. I sifted through my pack and arranged my potions to be readily available if we needed any. I did not trust my muddled mind to find anything quickly. Lydia readied her Familiar staff and her sword. We took the path across another bridge and stopped at a thick tree root that was blocking our way. The root extended out too far to go around and it was far too slippery to climb over. I tightened my grip on Nettlebane. It was going to take a while to chop through this enough to squeeze through. As soon as I touched the blade to the wood, however, the entire root flinched then rose up into the air, clearing the path.

"Finally," I said, "Something is actually simpler than it looks."

"Unless they fall back down once we are past and refuse to move to allow us to leave."

I hated when she was right. I did not see any way to guard against that, though without spending all day chopping with a dagger. "We'll deal with that if it comes up. I don't suppose you have a staff of fire with you? That might make it quicker."

"No. The wood looks too wet and tough to burn easily anyway."

I saw no alternative but to move on. I made three more roots move and then I was standing next to the giant tree. I placed a wooden bowl against the tree and made a deep slash into the bark. The sap oozed out slowly. I covered it and quickly tied a string around it to seal it. I packed it away.

"That was easy," I said, "These pilgrim's are too superstitious. 'The tree will defend itself'. Oooo. What was it going to do, bark at me?"

Lydia crouched and looked around.

"Lydia? Get it? Bark at me? Hey, what's that sound?"

A buzzing filled the air. Suddenly something hard slammed into my back and I stumbled forward into the tree. I heard Lydia summon a wolf and a glowing spriggan stood over me, it's clawed hands drawn back for another strike. I managed to release a shout at it and the shock of the frost breath stopped it from attacking. The spectral wolf grabbed a hold of its leg and tried to tear it loose. As I drank down two healing potions, the spriggan exploded into a swarm of bees. I thought it was dead but then the swarm came at me and the creatures began stinging me wherever flesh is exposed. I could feel the bees' poison surge through my body. I pushed away from the tree and ran towards Lydia so we could make a stand together.

The spriggan reformed to renew its attack. Lydia and the wolf met it while I found the one bottle of antidote I remember getting from a chest. Once cured of the poison, I joined Lydia in chopping down the living wood. It shifted into a swarm of bees once more, which this time I was able to keep away with my shout. I thought we had it defeated at one point but it managed to heal itself before we could finish it off. Once we did finally kill it, we both healed our wounds and counted ourselves lucky to have beaten it.

"It looks like the roots are staying up," I said as we headed back to the path, "That wasn't so bad."

"Bad enough," Lydia said, "I got stung in places I did not know were exposed."

"Better to find out now against a bee than... wait, what's that? By the Nines, not again!"

Three more times, in fact, did the spriggans attack us. With no more poison antidotes, we decided to make a run for the exit. We ran past Asta. She was dead on the ground next to her book. There was no sign of Sond. I assumed he ran off or took his chances in the underground river. By the time we left the cave, I was also out of any sort of healing or magicka potion. Our bodies were so covered with bee stings and tree sap we looked like one of the afflicted. All that for a small bowl of sap. Danica had better be extra inspired when the time came.

The hot springs must have some medicinal qualities to them because I tried out a soak in waters to ease the stings and it worked wonders.

"Come on in, Lydia" I said, swimming around in the shallow, steaming water.

"I don't know," she said, scratching her arms, "I think I can wait."

"So you're going to itch all the way back to Whiterun? Why? If my stark nakedness intimidates you, then perhaps standing up like this would help."

Lydia turned her head, a little. "No, that's not necessary, Thane with no shame."

"Then use a different pool. I've seen you in your smallclothes before, you know."

"It was dark and I was a little drunk. These bumps are annoying though. Fine. Turn around."

"What?"

Lydia looked at me, scratching.

"Whatever," I turned around, for a moment, then glanced back around. "Nice bumps."

Lydia jumped down into a pool next to mine. "Pig. This is helping, though."

"See, I told you."

We let some time pass and the itching was all but gone. Now I was itching to leave since I felt my headache returning.

"Lydia, I am sorry about Maurice. He left me no choice. I wouldn't kill someone out of hand like that."

Lydia sighed, "I know. It is just disappointing. No big deal anyway, his mustache was starting to creep me out."

"That's what I was thinking. We are so of a similar mind. Ready to go? Do you want to get out first?"

"Let's just go," she said, "Like you said, you've seen me in my smallclothes before."

"Exactly."

We stepped out and it took her a moment to realize wet clothes looked different than when dry. She plopped back into the water, but not before I smiled and give her a thumbs up. She put her head in her hand. "Just go already."

The road back was pleasant as far as scenery but my cravings are getting the better of me and slowing us down. We passed some fort that had two mages standing on its walls watching us closely. Smartly, they left us alone. A little further I passed by a Khajiit standing in the middle of the road. Without preamble, he spoke to me.

"M'aiq is very practical. He has no need for mysticism." Then he walked away.

Okay. A few paces further I found the dead body of an alchemist.

"Is this your work?" I yelled to the Khajiit.

"M'aiq is bored with this conversation."

Crazy Khajiit. I left him to his ramblings.

By the time I got to Whiterun, I could barely hold my head up. Lydia helped me through the streets to the Temple. Danica was standing in the middle of the room and rushed to my side.

"You poor thing," she said, "I'm sure you did your best."

The pain in my head was excruciating. I bit back a curse and thrust the bowl of sap into her hand. "My best is always enough to get the job done."

"Kynareth be praised," she said, "Housecarl, help me get him to a bed. We can do it there."

"Now we're talki..." I fell into shadows.

Time was impossible to follow. My only clear memory was of a celestial woman floating down from the skies and laying hands on my head. She pulled her hands away and it felt as though she was ripping my brain from my skull. My screams did not deter her. Finally something snapped and I fell back to the bed. She remained floating above me holding a seething ball of blue ooze. She blew on it and it turned to dust and floated away. She glided down to me, her transparent robes fluttering in wind I did not feel. She caressed my face then put her full lips to mine.

My eyes shot open and Danica and Lydia were standing over me both looking worried.

"What happened," I said through a dry, scratchy throat.

"You screamed like the Death Lord was chasing you," said Danica.

"I believe I was healed by Kynareth. She wrenched an evilness from my mind."

"Blessed be. We feared your mind would be ripped apart by such torment. What did the Goddess look like?" Danica asked.

I smiled as I recalled the image. "She had quite a set of gourds on her."

Lydia straightened up, "He's fine."

Danica looked confused, "So, she's a farmer now?"


	20. Day Seventeen

Day Seventeen

Apparently I refused to eat the two days I was in Danica's care. All of the mind-wrenching pain and dizzying nausea may have had something to do with that. I was famished when I left the temple and spent a whole two hours at the Bannered Mare eating. While filling my face, I noticed that I felt more relaxed and less paranoid about who was around me. There was something different in me now, though, that I could not quite put my finger on. There was something missing, like a painting with a tear in it. I tried not to dwell on it while Lydia talked about what I was going to do next.

"I think you should look more into the dragons," Lydia said, "You obviously have a connection with them and more and more reports of them attacking cities are coming in. If you gain control of them, you probably won't even have to conquer anything. The people may just hand everything to you once you put a stop to the attacks."

"That is what I am leaning towards," I said, barely able to think after eating so much. "I should focus on what sets me apart from the common rabble, as Balgruuf put it."

"So where to, then?"

"You're still going to follow me?"

"I didn't put up with your crap just to stay and clean house now that you're mind is right."

"Fair enough," I said, "Though Breezehome could do with a dusting and my clothes should be better organized according to color and occasion. No? What exactly is a housecarl supposed to do then?"

"Protect you and all you own, as I said when we first met. You can lock up Breezehome so I have only you and what you're carrying to protect. I can't do that with a dustrag and a ladle. I'll get someone else to clean while we are gone. Now, where are we going?"

"Fine, I guess there's no getting rid of you." I belched, long and loud.

"Kynesgrove. Delphine had more information about the dragons and their whereabouts so we'll go there and try find out where she went."

We went back to Breezhome to ready our packs for the trip. On the kitchen table I found the Sapphire Claw I used at Shroud Hearth Barrow. Lydia was upstairs gathering supplies and I just sat at the table, transfixed by the claw. The jewels in the fingertips were like distant sirens calling to me. I could not stop gazing into their depths. They made me feel whole again since Danica's treatment. The void was gone. I reached into my pack and search until I found what I remembered was there - a ruby. I held the large, blood-red gem and I wanted to laugh. The joy I got from holding it and learning its secrets was incomparable. I was giddy. Even skooma paled to its hold.

Why was I ever going to sell these? They were mine, they longed to be mine, and only I understand their true value and appreciated them as they should be. I took the claw and the ruby and locked them away in a cupboard but it did not feel right. I could not see them. They might vanish if hidden away too long. If they were stolen I would never know they were gone. There was a corner of the downstairs in Breezehome off the kitchen with only straw and cobwebs. I cleared those away and started a small, neat pile in the middle of it. That felt right.

"What are you doing?"

I spun quickly, sucked back into reality by Lydia's voice.

"I was..eh..redecorating, before we leave."

"Redecorating? And here I was wasting time packing food and potions. It is very pretty. I think you've found your true calling - jewel stacker."

"It was just something I needed to do, Housejoker. Are we ready?"

"I'm not sure. I don't think those curtains go with that rug? What do you think?"

"I don't know, do your curtains match your rug? Let's just go."

We headed back to Kynesgrove past Valtheim Keep and down the hill to the river. I was feeling better than I had in years and my sense of adventure got the better of me. I knew from our last trip that this road wound around a mountain but that was long and boring. Instead, I saw a path through some rocks on the other side of the river so I headed that way.

"Where are you going, Ralos," Lydia asked.

"I've been down that road," I said, "If I'm going to rule this land I should see more of it. What better way than going cross-country away from the roads?"

"Well, according to our map, there's a giant camp that way called Cradlecrush Rock. Doesn't sound too inviting to me."

"We don't have to eat dinner with them. You following or not, follower?"

"Lead on."

The giant camp was right over the hill. It seemed small for one of their camps and was easy to go around. He spotted us and made a couple of threatening gestures towards us but stayed by his fire which at the moment was roasting an entire cow. I spotted a chest in the camp but with him standing in front of it there was no way to reach it. As we went around I tripped over a stick near a boulder. It made an odd sound and when I checked it out it turned out to be an arm bone. No doubt one of the giant's throw aways.

"I see they crush more than cradles," Lydia said, pointing down at the base of the boulder.

A skeleton was lying half exposed beneath the rock with pieces of clothing and armor visible. I also saw a grey knapsack. I reached for it and the giant did not try to go after it so I assumed he either did not want it or did not know about it. Inside I saw a few odd items of little interest but then my eyes lit on a circlet of gold with three sapphires in the middle. I ran my fingers over them to see if they were glass but they turned out to be real. I glanced over my shoulder to see if Lydia was watching me. I closed up the knapsack and after a brief struggle managed to pull it out from under the rock. I slung it over my shoulder.

"What are you doing with that?" Lydia asked, "What's inside it?"

"Stuff, not much. It's a quality bag, though, and seems a shame to leave it here."

"You should at least scrape the dried blood and whatnot off of it."

"Later. Let's get going."

We were just on the fringe of the camp when I was suddenly hit with a gout of scalding flames. Not again, I thought. I didn't even know giants could use magic.

I turned to look and I saw the giant looking up into the sky waving his club. Lydia had her bow out looking up at the sky also. Then I heard it. A dragon roared as it passed by again, spewing flames over the entire camp as well as us.

I got out my bow then ran into the nearby woods as the giant started running towards me. I was about to shoot at him but instead of attacking, he ran past me into a clearing just off the road. A moment later the dragon swooped low then landed right next to him. For some reason I thought they are going to conspire against me, perhaps to reclaim the circlet I just found. They could not have it, it was mine. Then they started battling each other, the dragon spewing flames and the giant bashing him with his bone club. That worked for me. Lydia and I started flinging arrows into the dragon. It flew away but a moment later landed in the same spot and continued his fight with the giant. After a while I could tell the dragon was weakening so instead I started launching arrows into the giant. I timed it perfectly to where the dragon died and then a few arrows later, the giant fell down next to him.

"That couldn't have worked out any better," I said to Lydia, "Looks like Destiny is smiling on me more than usual, now that I've bested my demons and been tongue-kissed by goddesses."

"Thanks to me," Lydia said as we headed back to the giant's camp. "You didn't mention any kiss before."

"Didn't I? Huh. You may have had a hand in my ascension," I admitted, "I'll be sure to tell the bards to include you somewhere prominent."

"You're too generous, O' Thane."

"I know. I'm working on that, too. Let's have a look at what that giant was protecting."

We went back to the chest nestled against some rocks. I took two potions that were lying on top of it as well as the coins inside but that was all there was. I told Lydia to look around and she found a leather helmet next to the crushed skeleton. It had an odd look to it so I assumed it had some magic interweaved with it. I kept it to sell. We had a quick snack from the roasted cow then inspected the giant and dragon for loot. The dragon must have lunched on a warrior because I found a pair of bracers that had a similar look to the magical helmet I just found. They would be worth a lot more if they were a matching set. The giant yielded a large garnet from a hidden pocket. I admired it for a moment then snuck it into the knapsack.

From Cradlecrush Rock we journeyed through the woods until we come to a small pond. Beside the pond was an alter with a statue of Talos. These seemed to turn up in the oddest places. Some tributes were left on the alter. Along with weapons and flowers was a book with the strange title '2920 Midyear V.6'. Browsing through it I learned how better to lace my steel boots for better coverage against smaller creatures. I spotted a chest nearby and had to pick the lock to see inside. It was worth it though because I found another glorious ruby as well as a silver and moonstone circlet. Lydia reached in and grabbed the circlet then put it on her head.

"I love moonstone," she said. "Look at me! I'm Princess Moonbeam! All hail my moonyness!"

"Have you been in the Alto again?"

"No, just in a good mood. You were right, it is more fun getting away from the road. Mind if I keep this?"

I nearly reached out and snatched it off her head, but I get a hold of myself. "I'll keep it in here for now. You should probably keep your helmet on in case something comes up, like that dragon, right?"

"I guess, just remind me when we get back."

"Sure thing," I said and I caught the circlet as she tossed it to me. I cradled it for a moment then placed it in the knapsack along with a silver ingot I also found in the chest. I was sure I could make something nice out of that. Lydia picked up a pair of steelplate gauntlets from the alter and tried them on. She took them and left her other ones in their place. We moved away from the pond.

The forest grew thicker and since there was no trail, we had to pick through the brush and trees. That was why I did not see the elk charging at me until it was too late. The animal simply ran and put it head down, running into me with its antlers. I finally got my sword out but it had run off. The audacity of some animals. Before I could give chase I heard a familiar sound, a buzzing. I glanced to my right and I saw a spriggan coalesce from a swarm of bees. Not again, I thought. I shouted Frost at it then laid into it with my sword. I saw Lydia move behind the creature. I stepped back so I did not accidentally hit her with an errant swing. Between the two of us it went down quickly. The ones in the sanctuary must have had extra power from being by the Eldergleam. There was still the matter of the elk.

"It was probably possessed," Lydia suggested. "Spriggans can do that to animals. Just forget it."

I sheathed my sword. "Fine. The next elk I see though is getting an arrow in the butt."

We made it down the side of a mountain and finally reached an area that looked familiar. Too familiar. I got out my sword and Lydia readied her axe.

"What's going on?" she asked. "Did you hear something?"

"No, this is where I sent that bear flying into the river after leaving Kynesgrove. I'm getting prepared in case he made his way back."

Luckily, there is no bear waiting but the other bear, the one we avoided inside the cabin on the other side of the river was still there. I wanted a look inside that cabin so I told Lydia to see if we could scare that animal away. From the river bank we started needling it with arrows. It took a lot from the both of us before it finally took off running. We crossed and started searching through the cabin. Before we could find anything good, however, the bear made a return. Despite its animal rage at being wounded, it was too far gone to put up much of a fight, especially after I shouted it with Frost. I was really liking these shouts. I wondered if I could control it enough to simply shout at a few bottles of ale to get them nice and frosty. I was going to have to find out some more from the Greybeards.

In the cabin I found the bloody remnants of the occupant so I decided to help myself to his stuff. The only thing of real interest, however, was a treasure map locked in a chest. Neither of us recognized the location. All that was drawn was a single tall keep atop some rocks. I would ask around and keep the map just in case.

We continued to Kynesgrove and as luck would have it I found Delphine standing by the inn.

"You haven't been waiting here the whole time, have you?" I asked her.

"Of course not," she said, "I have a life too, you know. There's someone I come to see when I'm nearby. They don't call him Kjeld the Bigger for nothing."

"I thought it was Kjeld the Younger?" said Lydia.

"To some maybe." Delphine grinned.

"Really?"

"Really."

"If you ladies are done with your girl talk," I said, "I actually have something of interest to discuss."

"Sounds like someone doesn't like another rooster in the hen house," Delphine said.

"He killed the last one, claiming self-defense," Lydia said.

"Really?"

"Really."

"That's it," I said. "When you girls are done, I'll be inside getting something to eat." I left to a chorus of clucking. Damn hens.

I was almost finished with my venison stew by the time they decided to join me. I told Delphine that I was still interested in gaining control of the dragons, since according to legend I was one of them through blood. I asked her if she knew where I could find Alduin.

"No one knows for sure," Delphine said, "But someone has got to be interacting with them and coordinating these attacks. I think it has to be the Thalmor."

"Why them?" I ask, "Why would the dragons follow their lead?"

"Think about it? Ulfric is captured and the Imperials are about to win the war which would end it. With the war over, they could focus on repelling the Thalmor influence. So, Ulfric is freed by a dragon and the war is still on, weakening the Empire. The only ones who benefit from that are the Thalmor who want the Empire to bleed itself until they can just walk in and take it."

"So because the dragons helped keep the war going," I said, "They must be in league with the Thalmor? What if it was just coincidence? To be honest, I think Alduin was there to free me, not Ulfric. I mean, I am blood and all."

"That is a possibility, I suppose. There is one way to find out. I know from our spies that the Thalmor have secret plans hidden in their embassy. If you could sneak in there and retrieve them, we would have some answers."

"I don't think Ralos here could pass for a Thalmor," Lydia said, chewing on a heel of bread. "A Falmer, maybe, but not a Thalmor."

"Ha, you're so funny, Lydia," I said, "I suppose we could put an apple in your mouth and wheel you in disguised as the main course."

Lydia and I both laughed but then jumped up with our daggers drawn.

"All right, children. Enough!" said Delphine, banging her tankard on the table. "I'll think of a plan to get you in, Ralos, but you may have to go alone. Two Nords together would be too suspicious. Unless of course you want to go as a married couple. You'll have to be convincing, though."

"Alone," we both said.

"Fine. Give me time to think of something. Meet me in Riverwood in the cellar room. By the time we meet, I should have something worked out."

"What are we supposed to do until then?" I asked.

Delphine shrugged, "I think they need help here. See if you can lend a hand."

Lydia laughed, "In the mines? Yeah, I can see Ralos swinging a pickaxe for ten hours."

"Mines?" My mind reeled at the thought of what I might uncover. Raw gems like sapphires, rubies, amethysts, even diamonds. My hands were starting to shake and I could feel sweat forming on my brow.

"Are you all right?" Lydia asked, "You're not having a relapse, are you?"

"What? No, no, I was just thinking... how I could... make a name for myself here... let the lowly, dirty people know I'm one of them... briefly. I'll do it. I'll help in the mines."

"Okay. Talk to Kjeld. He's in charge and I'm sure he'll show you what to do. Until then, I'll see you in Riverwood."

It was not hard to find Kjeld. He seemed to be lurking around every corner. I mentioned the mines and he quickly asked me to help clear out some of the malachite. I acted surprised then agreed, if I could keep anything that I might happen to find other than the ore. I told him my Thanedom required I charge a bit for my out of town services. Kjeld grumbled but my title shut him up and he said I could take whatever I found from mine.

"I thought you'd see it that way," I said.

"Be careful, in there, Thane," Kjeld said, "Wouldn't want a beam or boulder to come crashing down onto your head, spilling your brains all over rocks for the skeevers to eat and forcing me to throw your carcass to the wolves, that is assuming a necromancer doesn't find it first and use it for expanding his carnal knowledge. Enjoy." Kjeld walked away.

"Kind of specific, wouldn't you say?" I asked Lydia.

"You're the one taking his gemstones, you tell me."

I ignored her as usual and entered the mines. On the first table I saw I found a book titled, 'Catalogue of Enchantments for Armor. Skimming through it gave me a headache so I just left it, though I did feel a bit smarter for some reason. Lydia complained of a twinge in her back and decided it would be best if she sat down and waited. I almost commanded her to help but seeing her sitting there, sharpening her axe, she looked so content I did not have the heart. Plus, I could pocket all the gems I found without worrying about her finding one and taking it.

I stripped down to my smallclothes and left them with her at the table. She feigned disinterest in my near nakedness. It was damn hot in the mine and with no air coming in, I was already sweating. No sense ruining my clothes.

I spent the next couple of hours banging away with a pickaxe, gathering malachite ore here and there to keep Kjeld quiet, but really focusing on finding raw gems. Unfortunately, they must search for them first, because all I found was a garnet. It appeared flawless but I was hoping for at least a pocketful instead of just one.

Back at the table I found Lydia talking with Kjeld the Younger.

"Why, yes," he said to Lydia, leaning back in his chair, "it is quite long and I am very proud of it. How did you happen to hear of it?"

"Really?" I said to Lydia as I approached, "I'm gone for a short time and this is how you spend your time? I'm surprised you don't grab a lantern for a better look."

"I was asking Kjeld about the history of his family's mine. Pig."

"Yes, I don't mind saying the competition was stiff and hairy at times. But the walls of the mine were thick with many veins running through them, just waiting for someone to bang out its riches."

"Oh, my," Lydia said.

"Now, with our pickaxes," Kjeld continued, "we bang away all day, sometimes long into the night until, sweaty and exhausted, we pull out and rest, only to go right back to it the next day."

"Oooh, my," Lydia said again, fanning herself with her hand.

"I think this history lesson is over," I said, "We should probably get going."

I grabbed my clothes in one hand and Lydia's arm in the other and headed for the exit.

"Wait, don't you want to hear how we handled our competitors? It took a firm hand but we eventually licked them."

"Oh, yes," Lydia responded.

I kept us moving until we were out in the cool air. Despite not having having done any work, Lydia seemed to be hotter than me as she chugged a tankard of water while I dressed. Probably a woman's thing. I left it alone and we headed to the inn for dinner and drinks.

On the way to the inn I saw the older Kjeld and I sold him all the malachite ore I mined. He thanked me but his eyes are locked on Lydia as she walked towards the inn.

"Aren't you married?" I asked him, mostly to stop him from drooling.

"My wife's a good woman," he said, "but every man needs a little variety, eh?"

Must be a family trait, I thought, and left him to his thoughts. After dinner Lydia and I decided to stay over and leave early the next morning. I locked the door to our room, partly to make sure nobody went in or out without me knowing. There were more hormones bouncing around this town than snowflakes on the ground. Also, I did not feel quite safe carrying these gems around. I was sure I could handle anyone in town, but what if more thieving assassins came after me while I was sleeping? I slept with the knapsack under my arms.


	21. Days Eighteen & Nineteen

Day Eighteen/Nineteen

We got off to a late start after I had trouble tracking down Lydia in the morning. She must have taken a bad spill in the dark while answering nature's call because she was walking a little funny.

"Are you sure you're up to walking back to Whiterun?" I asked her, "I could try my healing hands on you."

"Oh, no thanks," she said, stretching, "I'll be fine. Just a little sore."

Kjeld the Younger rounded a corner and bumped into me.

"Watch it, you clumsy oaf," I said.

He sized me up, "I could take you."

Lydia pushed him with her finger. "Didn't you take enough?"

Kjeld looked at her and smiled, "That I did. I believe I gave as well. Pleasant journey to you."

The young man walked away.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Nothing," Lydia said, sighing deeply, "Nothing at all. Are we ready?"

I let it go and we headed back towards Whiterun. The morning walk held no dangers and we were there before noon. I stopped at Adrienne's to ask her if I could use her forge. With her permission and a little guidance I managed to use some silver ore I dug up along the way to fashion a silver ring with a ruby in the center. It seemed an easier way to keep track of the gems would be by putting them in jewelry. Afterwards we went to Breezehome and I added the gems and jewelry I recovered to the small pile I started before we left. I wondered how big I could make the pile without attracting unwanted attention? Just staring at it eased my mind.

I went to Belethor's to sell some odds and ends and passed a woman who commented that she was on her way to the temple of Kynareth to see the Gildergreen now that it has been restored. They said it had healing properties now. I checked out the tree for myself and I was astounded how healthy it looked. The branches were full with purple blossoms waving in the breeze. I felt a bit of pride knowing I helped bring that around. Lydia and I headed out towards Riverwood to meet up with Delphine.

At the Sleeping Giant inn, Delphine was waiting for us when we got there and took us down into the cellar again.

"Here's the plan," Delphine said, "There's a Thalmor named Elenwen who is throwing a party at the embassy. I've managed to get you invited, but you will have to pull off being a person of some influence and high breeding. Do you think you can manage that?"

"Does a vampire suck?" I asked.

Delphine was not impressed.

"We'll work on it on the way," Lydia said.

"Fine. You are to go to Solitude and meet with my contact there at the Winking Skeever. I assume you know of it? The elf's name is Malborn. He'll give you further instructions when you get there. We don't want to reveal everything in case, you know, you are intercepted or something like that by their justificators."

"What kind of party is this?" I asked, "I need to know what to wear."

"Do not worry about that. I will supply you with clothes."

"Whoa, wait a minute. If there's one thing I know it's how to dress. I've been collecting clothes from all over and it's about time I got to use some of them."

"Collecting clothes? From where?"

"Oh, I don't remember exactly. Dungeons, keeps, caves."

"Really?" Delphine said, "You must have quite a pile of dingy rags and musty undies to choose from. Like I said, I'll get you clothes that will let you blend in, not get you thrown out."

I could not take anymore of her disparaging of my clothes so I left Delphine in her cellar and decided to head straight to Solitude. I checked the map and started heading out of Riverwood.

"You're going that way?" Lydia asked.

"It's the quickest way," I said, "Look at the map."

Lydia glanced at it. "You look. After the river there's nothing but a long range of mountains with no pass or town shown. If we go back to Whiterun and then proceed, we can take the route we took last time. It's a little longer but at least we know we will be able to get through."

I gave up. Why is it all the women in my life dictated what I did?

We went back to Whiterun but on the way I spotted a vein of iron ore. Since we would not get far before it was dark again, I decided to check it out since I still had the pickaxe from Kynesgrove. Before I knew it, I had scoured the mountainside for ore deposits. I found iron, corundum, and even silver. From the ore, I found a ruby and two amethysts, one of them flawless in its facets.

"Here," Lydia told me, "You carry the torch. I'm going to Breezehome and to bed."

I looked up and just then realized it was nighttime. I debated with myself about getting rest or searching for more gems. I found one more deposit then dragged myself away. Despite wasting the last few hours in manual labor, I smiled every time I heard the gems rustling around in the sack.

Back at Breezehome, I collapsed in bed from exhaustion.

#

The next morning I woke late and I was ridiculously sore. My first thought was I needed some skooma. I remembered then that I was sore from actually working and not from my muscles cramping from need. I thought it odd that my mind would go to the one thing I was supposed to be cured of.

After a meal of chicken and cheese, I made sure three times that Breezehome was locked up tighter than a miser's purse then we set out for Solitude. The route I took however, brought us past Silent Moon Camp again and as we were passing, a bandit came out from inside a little hut in front and started shooting arrows at us. We just cleared out this rabble. You kill and kill and they just keep coming back. There must be more to this place than what I saw.

Since they started it, Lydia and I took the fight to them and just like last time, there were three outside and then three more came running out to fight. They turned out to be just as capaable as the last batch of lowlifes.

Afterwards, I looked in the chest by the forge and a bounty of loot was waiting for me. There was a scroll labeled Guardian Circle. A necklace that I rememberd seeing on Adrienne. I wondered if it helps with smithing? There was also a nasty looking mace that had a green glow to it. I had Lydia carry all of these and I decided to have a closer look around since the party was still a few days off.

On the way back down the stairs I found a door that I missed last time. Inside I heard people talking and I tried to sneak up on them. I misstepped though and kicked some rocks down a ramp towards them. Two bandits, one of them an orc, came running up after us. Lydia took on the first and I tangled with the orc who was swinging a steel warhammer like a willow branch. It whistled through the air, just missing me as a danced backwards. I switched up the grip on my sword just a little and I must have caught him by surprise. His ugly head flew from his neck like a bird leaving its nest for the first time. It spun in the air and then plopped onto the ground. Lydia was finishing off her foe when she nearly stepped on it.

"You cut his head clean off!" she said, "Nice work."

"I know," I said, wiping my blade off on his fur armor, "I think I've got the hang of this thing finally. I'm going to have to keep doing that. It's very effective at taking the fight out of someone. Look! It's still blinking!"

The camp yielded only a few more petty bandits and not much more loot. I was not able to decapitate anyone else and I was feeling pretty let down by that. I thought I had a handle on just the right angle. Oh, well.

When we got back outside it was actually getting close to dinner time. Solitude was too far a trek now. I decided we should just go back to Whiterun, sell what we could carry, then start again the next day. Lydia said I just wanted to check on my gem stash again. I denied it, but I could not believe she was right. In the back of my mind, it was all I was thinking about. I would feel more at ease tomorrow if nothing had happened today.


	22. Day Twenty

Day Twenty

Everything was just as I had left it at Breezehome when we had returned so I guessed I could trust to leave it while we went to Solitude for this spy game Delphine thought was necessary. Well rested and fed, we struck out again early.

We got past Silent Moons Camp this time without incident. The road took us through a narrow pass that was already crowded with two brown mammoths lumbering down. The ground shook as they passed but they did not become aggressive. I did not fancy having to try to either take them out or outrun them. I was not even sure my full force shout would have any effect on them except to ruffle their matted fur.

Not far up the road I heard a horse breathe. I got out my bow, wary of bandits lurking in the mountains. I found the horse but it was riderless, then I noticed an orc lying on the ground next to it. His chest was to the ground but his face was staring up at the sky. When will orcs learn that horses won't stand for their stink so close to them? I checked the orc for anything valuable and found just a few coins. The horse, however was also fair game. I climbed into the saddle and held a hand out for Lydia to join me.

"I think not," she said, "By the looks of it that horse is too old and feeble to carry both of us. That's probably why he threw the orc. Self preservation. But you feel free to ride him. I'll just walk as fast as I can behind you."

"That doesn't sound right," I said, "Horses are pretty fast. You'll probably have to run. So, let's go."

Lydia did indeed have to catch up but she did well for all the armor she had on, and the fact that it was uphill, and carrying my burdens. We came to an alter and suddenly I remembered we had gone this way before. A shrine to Mara was at the top of the hill, like when we had gone to Ustengrav. This was also where I found that abandoned alter with all the gems left on it. I wondered if anyone had paid another visit.

Lydia finally caught up and I decided to ditch the horse. If I remembered correctly it will not be much help getting through the mountains. Plus, Lydia would not be much help with her huffing and puffing all the way. Just past the shrine I ran into a Vigilant of Stendarr standing over a mangled skeleton.

"Thanks for the help, Sweetie," I complimented her, "You've saved me the trouble of killing the thing myself. Looks like he was all bone for you. I hope you did not break a nail."

"Always walk in the light," she said, "Pig."

The vigilant stalked away. I turned to Lydia. "Friend of yours?"

"Some things are just obvious to everyone."

After a short search I found the hidden alter. Up at the top of the mountain, drool froze as it left my lips. The bowl at the alter was filled again with gems and magical items. I looked in the chest next to it and it also had new items. I guess I could stop calling this an abandoned alter.

"Wait," I said, "What if that vigilant left this stuff?"

"Vigilants are not known for their wealth and I doubt she would just leave knowing you were so close."

"What does that mean? You could take them, too."

"I am a trusted housecarl in the service of the Jarl."

"I am Thane of Whiterun and trusted to uphold the hold's justice."

"Then why are you taking all that stuff?"

I looked down and realized I had been emptying the bowl and chest while talking. "I can't just leave valuables like this lying around. Some unscrupulous person may come along and take them."

"Really?"

"How about we get going?"

"I suppose you want me to carry that stuff?"

"What? Oh, no, that's all right. I've got this. Actually, after you."

Up over the ridge I was looking down on Labyrinthian again. I was stronger, more confident in my abilities but Lydia was still leery about even approaching it. Down below I could see a frost troll walking along the walls. I could make out a lot of tracks in the snow throughout the rest of the courtyard so either it was very active or there was more than one. I decided to not put Lydia through the anxiety of such a test so I found a small path just outside of the walls and we avoided the whole place entirely. I managed to reach the bottom first. Lydia was probably still sore from trying to keep up with the horse. The first thing I saw on the road was a large frostbite spider not far away. I crouched to remain hidden then got my bow out and killed it with one shot. When I went to retrieve the arrow I was pleases to see I had shot it right in the mouth.

Lydia caught up to me, "Looks like somebody's been hunting spiders."

"You like that?" I asked, "I did it. Right in the mouth."

"Uh huh."

"What? I did, that's my arrow."

Lydia bent down and pulled the arrow out, "It's not warm. You shoot flaming arrows."

"It obviously fell in the snow which cooled it."

"I see, well, too bad there isn't another you could show me your technique on."

"Just wait, housecarl. Next spider is all mine and the arrow's going so far in its mouth it'll look like it's eating a bird."

I snatched the arrow from her and continued down the road but I did not get far before something caught my interest. I saw a dragon mound off the road and took Lydia over to investigate. As soon as I got there, however, I noticed it was not a mound but the entrance to a ruin like at Ustengrav. I could also hear a skeleton creaking around somewhere. I went around one side with my sword ready until I got to the edge of the ruin. A skeleton was making his way up the stairs slowly, waving an ancient axe in his hand. He came towards me, running. I put up my sword to parry his axe but Lydia appeared from out of nowhere and obliterated him from behind. I protected myself from the shower of bones and bone meal.

Lydia returned her axe to her back, "It was no arrow to the mouth, but still effective, huh?"

"I know a mouth that needs an arrow," I muttered.

"What was that?"

"It might have been weak to arrows," I said, covering.

"I used my axe."

"Let's see what's done there."

I headed down the steps to see what the skeleton was protecting. I found a book titled, 'Black Arts on Trial'. Now there was a book I wanted to read. I skimmed through it but I found nothing I wanted to know. In fact it was more instructional towards illusionary magic than critical. Funny thing was, I was sure I could do the things it said. I moved on. After emptying the urns scattered around I found my favorite kind of mage, a dead one, sprawled out uncomfortably on a shattered table. His demise looked painful. Too bad I missed it. Next to him on the floor I found a staff that Lydia ooooed over. It is long with three blue crystals set inside three golden prongs, looking like dragon claws. I handed it to her.

"I've only seen these in books," she said, "It a Staff of Revenants, capable of raising the dead, and not just animals and the young, but more powerful creatures and people. Farengar might have more use for this, however."

"I was thinking it would make for good kindling," I said, sneering at the evil staff.

"Do you know what would happen if you threw this into a fire?"

"No."

"I don't either, but I imagine I would not want to be around if these crystals erupted."

"Just keep it out of sight, then. It makes skeevers run up my back."

Lydia wrapped it and put it away. I searched for an entrance to the ruin, just in case I wanted to come back, but I did not find one. We left and, thinking of the staff and the book, I wished we had never stopped to look.

Without looking at the map, I stumbled into Morthal. I was not sure why but that town gave me the creeps. It was too quiet and surrounded by too much fungus. In front of the Jarl's house a group of armed men were gathered, yelling for answers. I stopped one of the men as they walked away.

"What's the problem?" I asked him.

"The townspeople are frightened," he said, "They see strange lights out in the marshes and hear unholy things in the night. The Jarl does nothing and that scheming wizard, Falion, is just whispering in her ear."

"Perhaps you should get your Thane to do something."

"Thane?" he laughs, "What makes you think we can afford a Thane? We don't even have a proper store here. What brings you here anyway, stranger?"

"Just passing through on the way to Solitude."

"Everyone does. You might want to mind your own business, then, before people wonder why you are asking questions."

The rude man walked away but he had given me an idea.

"Lydia, he said this hold has no Thane."

"So?"

"What if I could become the Thane?"

"Don't you think you'd be spreading yourself a little thin, Ralos?" she asked.

"You would be going back and forth for every little squabble that comes up."

"That's true. And what if I got another housecarl? The last thing I need is another woman trying to manage me."

"You should be so lucky."

"Lucky? Is that the word I was thinking of? Pain in my lucky. No, that doesn't sound right. Forget I said anything. Let's get out of this dreary haunt."

Swamps and marshes were becoming some of my least favorite places. Besides the stagnant water ruining my good boots and pants, there were fungus pods and giant lichen all over the place. I don't mind fighting mudcrabs and frostbite spiders out in the open, but here they like to hide behind all the trees or down in the holes and dips in the landscape, coming out just to pinch or spit at you. We even ran into a troll in there. I thought they stayed in the mountains?

Near Solitude we found a cluster of tents outside of a ruin. No one was around so we poked through the tents looking for stuff. I found a journal by some mage named Daynas Valen. Apparently he found an ivory claw and planned to use it to retrieve some amulet. It must be like the sapphire claw I had for Shroud Hearth. That would be nice to have for my collection, the amulet, too. I wondered if they had already come and gone. I go up to the ruin to see if I could tell if they were still near.

"Is that one of the old ruins?" Lydia asked.

"No, I believe it's one of the new ruins, built just last year."

"Stuff it up your sweetroll, Thane. I was only asking."

Sweetroll? That was a long way from ,'It's an honor to serve you'. I was starting to think I would have to force Lydia to stay at Breezehome until her attitude was more appropriate for my station. I marked the ruins on the map. A small plaque over the door said 'Folgunthur', so I wrote that next to the X and continued on to Solitude. I first heard the bells of the shipping docks then remembered we had to swim across the harbor. There was no getting around it since I could find no boat. We dove in and hurried as best we could.

By the time we reached Solitude, we had dried sufficiently to not attract much attention. We went to the shop, Bits and Pieces, first to sell stuff we had picked up. The woman Lydia had threatened was not there but I thought I saw someone slip quickly through a side door. The other woman was cordial enough, though her dialogue seemed a bit stilted. I believe Belethor said the exact same words to me. I wondered if they had a guild that made them all practice the same lines? My business concluded, it was time to find this Malborn.

The Winking Skeever was starting to fill up so I tried to look casual as I surveyed the inn. I saw a table against the wall with a wood elf sitting by himself.

"Are you Malborn?" I asked him.

"Who wants to know?"

His attitude needed some correction but I assumed it could be part of his disguise. I let it go. "Our mutual friend sent me."

"You're kidding? You're who she picked? Was she drunk?"

His irreverent disguise was grating my nerves. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Lydia trying not to laugh.

"I hope she knows what she's doing," Malborn said, "or she's going to get me killed for sure this time. Here's the deal. I can smuggle in some stuff for you, not much, so keep it simple. Give me only what you will need for the mission, weapons, armor, stuff like that."

"All right. When do you need this stuff?"

"Now. I'm only on a break. I need to be getting back and this is my only chance."

"I didn't bring a change of clothes, Elf. If I give you my armor to take, I'll be down to my smallclothes."

"I understand. Some men are shy about... revealing too much of themselves. Perhaps you won't need any armor. This requires more sneaking around than fighting."

Lydia was chuckling louder now so I gave her a shove to show my irritation. "Sneaking, huh? I'll probably need my armor. The Nines..."

I undressed, attracting a few stares, and a frown from the owner. Hopefully he would not call the guards. It would be hard to attend a party from the jail. I handed what I would need to the elf.

"Great. Look for me at the party and wait to speak with me."

He dashed off with my stuff and I decided to see if Bits and Pieces was still open. They should have something I could wear. Lydia followed, barely able to smother her laughing.

We passed the owner who looked me up and down. "Somehow I expected... more."

Lydia finally burst out laughing and fell into the nearest chair. I clenched my fists and left them all behind. She definitely needed a break when we got back. I made it to the shop just as Sayma was closing it up.

"I need something from you," I said.

She looked at me, startled, then said, "Well, I couldn't help notice you looking at me, but I'm a married woman and with a small child. I don't do that anymore. Um, we'll have to be discreet."

"Hold on. I just need to buy some clothes. I had to... part with my other ones."

"Oh. Of course, I knew that. Ha ha, didn't you get my joke? Don't tell anyone, though. They might not get it either. I'll give you some clothes if you get inside quickly."

It turned out Sayma had quite a selection of men's clothing in a back room. A big sturdy bed, too. She must put in a lot of long hours. I left and found Lydia waiting outside sitting on a barrel eating an apple. She threw me an apple.

"Work up an appetite?" she asked.

"What?"

"The clothes. Did you pay for them or... work for them?"

"What are you talking about? I paid for them."

"Wow. A married woman? I didn't think you had it in you. 'Course I can't say I'm too surprised either. What next?"

"Well the party is not until tomorrow and it's getting late. We'll hold up at the inn and go see Delphine at the stables tomorrow."

"She must have wore you out. Whatever you say. You're the Thane."

Confused, I ignored her once again and went to rent the room.


	23. Day Twenty-one

Day Twenty-one

I slept in since the party would not be starting until much later. When I did get up I ordered a hearty breakfast. It was good, but the eggs had a funny taste to them. I assumed it was from some regional spices. I finished them anyway and went in search of Lydia. I found her at the blacksmith's. She seemed to be on good terms with the big man, very good terms. They were laughing and whispering as I approached.

"Are you ready to go, Housecarl?" I asked to interrupt their banter.

"Whenever you are, Thane," she turned to the blacksmith. "Bye for now. Say hello to your wife, Sayma, for me. Tell her to stop putting in so many late hours at work. Wouldn't you agree, Ralos?" Wink.

"I guess. She was glad to give me a hand last night, though."

"I'll bet she was," Wink.

"Is something wrong with your eye?" I asked.

"Have it your way, Ralos. I'm ready to go."

I hurried to the stables just to get away from the confusion of Solitude. I found Delphine waiting impatiently for me.

"You sure took your sweet time," she said as a greeting. "Anyway, here's your invitation. You're not going like that, are you?"

"What's wrong with this?" I said, getting heated, "It took me almost an hour to decide on these. They are the latest in fashion."

"He got them from Sayma last night," Lydia added, again winking.

"Ahh," Delphine said, "So you must have dressed in the dark afterwards. Well, it doesn't matter. Here's the clothes you should wear. You can change in the carriage on the way there."

I looked over the clothes. They were nice but no better than what I had on. I was about to argue further when a sudden pain nearly doubled me over. I could feel my stomach gurgling and I even wondered if the ladies next to me could hear it. Something was not right.

"What's wrong with you?" Delphine asked.

With some effort I managed to straighten up. "Nothing. Thanks for the clothes. I'll change on the way. Coming, Lydia."

"Actually, you must arrive alone," Delphine said. "She can accompany me and we'll meet at the rendezvous. I'm sure we'll find something to do while we wait."

"I'm sure you will," I say with a knowing grin, as I hopped into the carriage.

"You can try anyway, but I don't know if she'll go for it. Try some wine first and she's partial to moonstones. Tell you what, if she does, you'll let me know, right? Maybe we can all...find something to do."

The carriage pulled away and I saw both of them look at each other and shrug. They're not fooling me, though. All of a sudden my stomach grumbled loudly and I had to concentrate on containing myself. Those damn eggs, I'll bet. At least I was alone in the back of the carriage.

The carriage ride was not as long as I was hoping. My stomach is still unsettled by the time we arrived. The driver, who had taken to covering his nose with a scarf, could not have left quicker. In fact he nearly ran over another guest who was making his way on foot.

"I'm glad to see a fellow Nord," the man said, introducing himself as Razelan.  
"And you arriving by carriage, no less. I salute you, sir."

The man was obviously already drunk, so much so he had to sit down before he fell down. I told him I would see him inside but hopefully he would pass out and fall back into the bushes. I had a feeling he follow me around like a puppy if I let him.

I glanced at the guard waiting by the entrance. He was trying to look intimidating but I recalled my teenage training at being newly wealthy and approached him confidently.

"Your invitation, please," he said harshly. I don't think he liked seeing so many Nords around.

"Of course," I said, but it was not in the pocket I thought it was. I searched a couple more pockets but came up empty. The guard was growing impatient when I suddenly found it stuffed in the back of my trousers. I think I put it there while I buttoned my new shirt. I handed it to him.

The guard seemed suspicious that it took so long and gave it a close look. Too close, it seemed. He pulled his face away from it and wrinkled his nose.

"Sorry," I said, "I think I may have dropped it in the stables."

"So it seems. You may go in."

Inside, I did not get more than a few feet when my way was blocked by a tall female Thalmor.

"I am Elewen, Thalmor ambassador. I don't believe we've met."

So this was her party? She had the look of someone not used to being trifled with. "My name is Ralos Ravenclaw, newly named Thane of Whiterun."

"Ah, yes. I remember seeing your name on the guest list. But I know nothing else about you. Tell me more, Ralos."

"Pardon me, Miss Elewen," a familiar voice said from the bar. "The champagne is running low already and I think I just heard Razelan show up. What should I do?"  
I looked at the bar and saw Malborn dressed as a servant.

"Why must I be bothered with this? If that drunk so much as touches a glass..."

I did not bother to listen to the rest. I used Malborn's distraction to move into the parlor to mingle until I got the signal from him. These nobles were so full of themselves. How could anyone stand them? Finally I caught a wave from Malborn and slowly made my way to the bar. He pretended to make me a drink while whispering.

"The guards are watching everyone too closely, even me. You need to create a distraction so I can slip you out of here."

"Me? I thought you had a plan."

"That is the plan. Now go, we don't have much time."

Razelan entered the parlor. "Do not worry, dear Lords and Ladies, the party has arrived!"

"I think I just found my distraction," I told Malborn, "Just be ready."

I watched from the bar for a minute, absently eating some food from a bowl on the bar. Razelan tried to get a drink from one of the serving girls but she told him she was not allowed to serve him. He threw his hands up, pouted, then sat on a bench near the door, probably contemplating leaving. I had to act now.  
"Whoa, you weren't about to eat these, were you?" Malborn asked.

"What? These chocolate treats?" I asked, looking at the bowl I was next to.

"Why?"

"Chocolate treats? It's a good thing I stopped you. These are rat dropping I just swept from under the counter. I meant to throw them out. You'd better hurry."

I could almost feel my skin turning green and my stomach had renewed its gurgling but more so, as if a pair of rocks were tumbling through my nether regions. I ignored it as best I could and stepped up to the serving girl. I took the first glass I saw and gulped it down. My throat burned and I was hoping it also burned whatever may be lingering from my snack. I took two more glasses.

"If you don't mind me saying," said the server, "you don't look well, my Lord. You look as if you swallowed a dung beetle or something."

"Close enough."

I took my drinks over to Razelan, making sure Elewen was nowhere near.

"You look thirsty, my friend," I said to him. "You should help yourself to some of their finer wines."

"I would like nothing better than to slake my powerful thirst on their free beverages," he said with a slur and a flourish of his hands, "But Elewen, that frigid bitch, has cut me off. I'd like to empty a bottle just to smash it over her head and use the jagged edges to..."

"Before you go any further, perhaps I can help you out. You may have one of mine. My stomach is already protesting the first."

The man's face lit up, "You, Sir, are a Prince among all these pinchpennies and lickspittles," he drained half, "If there's anything I can do to repay you, don't hesitate to ask."

"Actually, there is something you can help me with," I said and moved in a little closer, though his fuming breath strained my stomach. "There's a little serving wench I'd like to sneak out of here to teach how to properly serve a guest, if you know what I mean. I need a distraction to accomplish this, however."

"Is that all?" he said, a little too loudly, "Distractions are my speciality. Stand back and behold my handiwork!"

I casually made my way towards the bar while Razelan cleared his throat and stood in the center of the parlor.

"I would like to propose a toast," he started, "to our mistress of ceremonies, Elewen! Of course I mean that figuratively. Nobody in their right mind would take that Draugr crotch to bed. Not without a shaft of the undead to fight that blight, am I right?"

The guards began to crowd around Razelan now, ready to take him down with a nod from Elewen. I signaled to Malborn and he took me through a door behind the bar. I noticed Razelan saw me leave with the wood elf and a strange look passed over his face. He did not think... no, it's obvious I'm not... damn. Once inside the back room my stomach squeezed into a ball again and I had to lean against one of the barrels as a disturbance bubbled through my guts.

"You're not getting cold feet, are you?" Malborn asked.

"No, but I may be getting brown shorts soon. What's next?"

"Your equipment is in that chest. Be quick about putting it on, I have to get back."

I walked over to the chest, still hunched over. I did not know how long I can hold this pain in. I dressed as quickly as possible then told Malborn I was ready.  
"All right. The plans you are looking for are either through this door in a room or across the courtyard in the Thalmor's solar. Good luck."

The elf left and I could hold back no longer. The sudden relief was almost worth enduring the horrendous, putrefied stench that filled the room. Almost. I opened the door and crept out into the hall as furtively as I could in my armor. For once, I thought I was doing a pretty good job of sneaking. Some things were beyond my control, however. I could hear two guards in an adjacent room talking.

"What do you think about all these mages running around?"

"I don't care, so long as they leave the whores... wait, what's that awful smell?"

I had left the door open too long. "Crap," I said.

"That's exactly what it smells like... hold on, you didn't say that." I heard a sword unsheathed. "Who's out there?"

"Crap," I said again and reached for my sword.

Just as I get set, a Thalmor clad in full elven armor peeked around the open door. I slammed my sword onto his helm. It staggered him but that armor must be a lot stronger than it looked. Before I could hit him again another guard came out of the room and hit me with his sword. I backed up until both were in front of me and used my frost shout on them. They both slowed down and I noticed a mage inside the room put a shield up and launch a shower of sparks at me. I moved out of the way and attacked the first guard until he fell. The other guard got in one more shot at my back but then his body crumpled at my feet as I lopped his head off and sent it rolling to the feet of the mage entering the hall. He inadvertently step on it, unbalancing him into the door. I used the distraction to sidestep into an adjacent room and quickly healed and drank a potion labeled 'for shocks'. The mage crept around the doorway and was met with a fair length of steel to his face. He managed to bring up some more of his hand lightning, but two power slashes from me and he was begging for mercy. He suddenly stood to run but I caught him and ran him through with my blade, penetrating into the wood of the door and pinning him up in the air. I let him dangle there while I used my healing magic to repair the burns he inflicted. I retracted my sword then dragged the guards into the room with him and closed the door. I cracked the window at the end of the hall since the air still reeked.

I searched the room they were in and upstairs as well but I found no plans of anything. Looks like I would need to search the solar. I found the door to the courtyard and stepped out into the cold air. I snuck to the edge of the wall and peeked around to see if anyone was out here. I was spotted instantly. This sneaking business could suck Ysmir's sack-beard. I ran out and turned a corner around a wall to meet the guards. Instinctively a bellowed a war cry I once heard my father's man-at-arms do. It had scared the Hells out of me and now it did the same to the guards. For some reason they all took off running from me as if I had sprouted five heads and they all breathed Hellfire. I did not question it, I just ran for the building.

Inside, I encountered another guard with his back to me. Two swings and he was taken care of. Some servants ran up the stairs while two mages attacked me with more lightning. Their spells were effectively draining my strength so I ran upstairs to find a better place to fight. I healed with magic as I ran into a bedroom. They seemed reluctant to follow me and I heard them split up in the hallway. Perfect. I treated my blade with some poison I had found in my travels and quickly dispatched the first one to enter my room.

Now that I was down to one mage I reapplied the poison and took the fight to him. I found him in a different room and left him crumpled in a corner. Inside the room I saw a safe in a corner but I did not like my odds at opening it. To my surprise it was unlocked. They must have been pretty sure of their security to do that. Fools. Inside I found a literal treasure trove of gems, gold, and jewelry. What lovely fools! I was nearly skipping with joy as I searched the rest of the building. I did not find much more wealth but I did find a couple of dossiers that must be what Delphine was referring to, though I don't see what help they would be.

On my way downstairs I was attacked by the servant I had forgotten about. He only had a dagger and no armor so the fight lasted only until I ended up disembowelling him.

"He had guts, I gave him that. Get it?" I cursed when I remembered Lydia was not there to enjoy my sophisticated humor.

I heard someone moaning in pain down in the cellar so I decided to check it out. Maybe they found out about Malborn after all.

I used a key I found on one of the guards to open the door to the cellar. I crept down the stairs and stopped just as another guard came into view. I continued as best I could to sneak up on him. He finally noticed me but it is too late. His head wound up in a pile of straw in a corner. Love those one-hit beheadings. I searched him for valuables and found another key but what it is for I had no idea. I found a chest with another dossier in it which I added to the others. I looked into the only occupied cell and I was actually relieved not to find Malborn. A beaten man dressed in bloody rags was shackled to the wall by his wrists. I went inside to set him free.

"I told you everything I know," he said without looking up.

"I'm not here to torture you, fool," I said, "Are you so defeated by these elves you can't even lift your head?"

"You're not one of them. You're a Nord, like me. What do you want?"

"I'll explain later, if I feel like it. First, tell me what you know. What have they been asking you about? Some handsome, unstoppable rogue of a Dragonborn, perhaps?"

"No, though one did mention hearing of a prancing fool claiming to be the Dragonborn. His companion sounds like a hot piece of honeynut treat, though, if you know what I mean. They are looking for a man named Esbern. They think he is in Riften which is where they dragged me from, literally."

"Prancing fool? I'll cut all their damn heads off and prance around the pile while relieving myself on them. Now who's the fool?"

"There you are," a voice said from behind me. "I've been wondering what happened to you."

I looked to see Malborn standing outside the cell. "My stealth needs a little work. I had to use my sword to neck technique on them all. Help me with this guy."

Malborn and I freed the Nord who said his name was Etienne Rarnis. He managed to stand on his own and none too soon. As I stepped out of the cell, two guards came down the stairs.

"Halt!" is all they were able to say before I force shouted at them. They tumbled like rag dolls into the back wall where Malborn and I dispatched them quickly enough. I told Malborn I would finish up here. When I was done, I gave it a jiggle then joined him next to Etienne.

Malborn looked oddly at me, "You know, there's a bucket over there for that sort of thing."

"I had a pledge to keep. Now how do we get out of here. I've got what I came for, and more," I said, thinking of the glittering loot in my pockets.

"It'll be tough," sayid Malborn, "Your shouting and fighting has left the whole place on alert."

"There's a trap door over there," Etienne pointed out, "I've seen them use it if you can find the key."

I remembered the key I found just a few moments ago and gave it a try. The door opened. A fetid reek wafted out but it seems like a secretive enough way to go. We dropped down and closed the door behind us. Not far along we ran into a frost troll waiting among a pile of old bones and a fresh kill, a mage by the robes. Now I almost hated having to kill the thing. I used my force shout again then the two of us attacked the thing. As we were fighting I saw arrows zipping into its face and chest. I glanced over to see Lydia waiting by the exit with her bow. A few healing potions later, the troll was dead and we all met outside.

"Now the Thalmor are going to be hunting me the rest of my life," said Malborn.

"I could make that a very short time, if you'd like?" I suggested. He backed away slowly then ran away. The freed Nord stood by himself not far off.

"Nice to see you again, Honeynut," I said to Lydia, "Thanks for the help."

"Honeynut? Did you hit your head?"

"Nevermind. Where's Delphine? I've got the papers she was looking for."

"She went back to Riverwood. She said if she's gone too long, Ognar eats all the horker loaf and holds oiled Khajiit wrestling matches."

"So she has me...Khajiit wrestling?"

Lydia shrugged, "I guess they really put up a fight, too. The loser gets shaved."

"I don't mind encountering the occasional shaved Khajiit myself. Anyway, I can't believe she left after sending me in alone to do her dirty work. I know she doesn't care for men but, that's just cold-blooded."

"Funny you should mention that thing about men," Lydia said.

"Oh yeah," I said, suddenly interested, "Do tell, and don't leave anything out."

"I think it's just you she doesn't care for."

"That's it? Whatever, she just hasn't experienced the full potential of what Ralos Ravenclaw brings to the table. Let's go find a place to hole up for the night. I want to be nice and rested before dealing with this woman."

"Lead on," Lydia said.

"Hey, you don't think I prance, do you?"

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything but..."

"Forget I asked. I walked right into that."

"Sure you didn't prance into that? And you are particular about your clothes..."

"Nevermind!"

Solitude was the closest place to get some decent rest so I struck off in that direction. Half way there I came across a small building and I heard that disembodied voice again, beckoning me to enter the temple and rid it of the scourge of evil.

"Did you hear it that time?" I asked Lydia.

"Hear what?"

"That woman's voice, the same one I heard at Orphan's Rock. She just told me to enter her temple and help cleanse it of evil."

"Sounds personal," Lydia said, "I want no part of it. Any woman telling you to enter her temple must have something wrong with her."

I marked the location on my map and hurried Lydia along. Darkness was falling quickly and I would rather not be traipsing through the woods when I was already so tired. Plus, this would be the perfect place for thieves to lay a trap and take all the loot I had just acquired.

We made it to the Winking Skeever in time to get food while the kitchen was still going. After a meal I could barely stay awake and only had time to secure my loot to my person before I passed out on the huge bed.


	24. Day Twenty-two

Day Twenty-two

I thought I would be hungrier after escaping the Thalmors and the long trek to Solitude, but after my stomach issues yesterday I decided to keep my breakfast simple at the Winking Skeever. I ate a couple of apples and a cheese sandwich, washed down with a bottle of Black-Briar. Lydia chowed down her usual three course meal. I did not know how she could eat so much and still fit in that armor. Of course I like my women with a little bounce to their flounce so I was not going to complain.

On our way out we passed by a tall, lovely woman talking to her friend. "Some day a gallant knight with a sword will come and whisk me away," she said. She saw me and asked, partly joking, "Are you that gallant knight?"

"Would you settle for a randy Dragonborn with a well-used two-hander?"

A chorus of, "Pig," was the answer from all three women.

The women huffed away, leaving only Lydia.

"Don't you women know any other animals?" I asked.

"Don't you ever think with anything else?"

"She asked me. I'm the Dragonborn and I'm nobody's gallant knight."

"Maybe you should give it a try. There are worse things."

"When I'm Emperor I'll hire nothing but gallant knights to roam the countryside doing good deeds. But Draugr and dragons don't care if you're gallant. They only respond to this," I brandish my sword.

"As Emperor, you'll have much more to fight than creatures in dungeons. You might want to start making allies, or at least a few friends."

"I've got friends," I said defensively.

Lydia raised an eyebrow then turned towards the city gate.

"You're my friend at least, right? Lydia?"

I took Lydia's silence as an awkward acknowledgment. Some people just did not know how to say they cared. I understood. We stopped at the stables at the bottom of the hill to get a ride back to Riverwood. The driver was nowhere to be found but his carriage was leaning with only one wheel. That figured.

After another pleasant swim through near frozen water, we checked our map and started towards Riverwood. I ran across a camp near Folgunthur I must have missed the last time through. In a tent I found a book titled, 'Purloined Shadows'. From it I learned a neat trick on emptying someone's pocket from the side. Might come in useful.

We stopped for a short time to decide which way to go. Neither of us really wanted to go over the mountains again so we settled on going around them to the East after skirting Morthal. We passed a quiet ruin named Kjenstag and marked it down for later plundering. The way was much easier, though longer and more boring. That was until we ran into two bandits trying to rob a mage. Either they lured him with a plea for help with their broken carriage or they ambushed him and smashed his ride to keep him from fleeing. I had no love for bandits or mages but I doubted the mage would have taken on more than he could manage, being cowards at heart. So I decided to help him against the bandits. After the three of us killed the criminal pair, the wizard repaid our kindness by attacking us. Luckily, the bandits did not do much damage to us so I cut the mage down in moments without much trouble. I took a closer look at his robes and spat. Necromancer, the worst of them.

The bandits did not have much and neither did the mage. On the ground near the carriage I found a book, 'A Dance In Fire Chapter 6'. It told how to negotiate with a hostile customer. Obviously the mage had yet to read it. In the broken carriage, I found the body of another necromancer. The body was already cold so he was not part of the fight. I did not want to think why or where he was being taken. Hopefully this would have spared him further desecration.

A little further and the landscape started going uphill again. I was hoping to avoid the cold and snow. In the middle of nowhere we found a barred chamber with a lever in the center of the floor. It looked Dwemer-built but I had no idea how to open it. Those crazy miners and their machinations.

We continued East then turned South following a narrow mountain pass. It lead us right to another Dwemer portal but this one had an empty camp outside of it. Not much left behind except some chicken breasts in a pot that were still good, probably from the cold temperature. They made a good lunch along with some Alto wine I found inside a tent. It was tempting to take a nap but the wind was rising and I thought we should get going before we got caught in a snowstorm.

Nearby I saw a roaring bonfire from a giant camp. The last giant had some decent loot and I was itching to get hold of some new shiny objects that needed my protection and appreciation. Lumbering oafs like these giants could not possibly enjoy gems and jewelry on the same level as me. It was my duty to take them with me. I said as much to Lydia.

Lydia rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Ralos. I'm starting to wonder if leaving you on skooma would have been cheaper and less dangerous. Do you even remember what you were striving so adamantly towards when I met you?"

"I course I do," I said, insulted, "to conquer this land and use it to strike back at my silver, eh..sister. To do that, I need not only an army but the wealth to feed and arm them. It's all part of my grand diamond, eh..design. I know what I'm doing. If you don't want to take their stuff then just sit here and I'll be back."

Lydia sat down and started sharpening her axe, again. Fine, she would just slow me down anyway.

I spotted the treasure chest behind the big grey goof. I thought I can get behind him if I crawled over the rocks and slid down. I would have to make a mad dash afterwards though since going back up would be impossible. I headed back to where I thought the chest was and it happened to be where I left Lydia.

"Change of heart?" she asked.

"Hardly. Just getting the jump on them. Continue with your not following."

Apparently sarcasm was too over her head because she went right back to sharpening. I started climbing the rocks and I was almost directly over the chest. A small adjustment and I dropped down to the ground. Just as I opened the chest I could hear, and feel, the giant take a step towards me. I threw back the top and scooped out the contents. Cradling the loot, I made a mad dash for the only way out. My brave yell of victory must have impressed him because he did not follow me. Then I saw the other giant and this one was blocking the exit and waving that stupid bone club in the air.

I was trapped. With each threatening step, however, he moved further and further from the exit. As long as I did not enrage him, I thought I could run past him. Fortunately, they were as slow as they were big. I managed to whisk past his leg and out into the surrounding fields. I made a wide circle back to Lydia.

I sat down next to her and dropped all the stuff I had carried out.

"Was there a woman down there with you?" Lydia asked.

"No. Why?"

"I could have sworn I heard a woman shriek a few moments ago."

"I heard nothing of the kind. Perhaps one of them stepped on a rock or stubbed a toe."

We went through the loot which turned out to be mostly Dwemer items including an axe similar to Lydia's but with a bluish glow to it. It was duller than her's so Lydia just packed it away with the other items. A smallish garnet and an amethyst I pocketed for safe keeping.

It turned out we were closer to Whiterun than I thought. We stopped in at Belethor's and sold some of our extra items then I stashed all of my new gems and trinkets at Breezehome. We had a lunch of pheasant and cabbage apple soup. While we ate I debated with myself about telling Lydia to stay put here for a while. I had seen a couple of mercenaries around town that I could hire to go with me if she insisted I have a bodyguard. But they were not free, and none were as tolerable to look at all day, though perhaps some may have had better attitudes. In the end, I decided to hold off on deciding, at least until I talked with Delphine.

"What would you say to me staying here?" Lydia said as we finished dinner.

"What? Why do you ask?"

"Well, you mentioned it before and you seem a bit more...capable than you were when you first arrived. Perhaps you don't need me along."

Her change of heart was odd. My thoughts turned suspicious. "Then maybe you could stay here and, oh I don't know, look after Breezehome and all its valuables and prized belongings."

"Partly," she admitted, "I could use a bit of rest. My back is a little sore from carrying all that stuff across half of Tamriel."

"Uh huh. Well suck it up, Housecarl. No one said this would be all sunshine and sweetrolls. You're following me, to the Planes of the Nines, if need be. Got it?"

Lydia sighed, "As you wish, My Thane."

She seemed deflated by my insistence, but sometimes a leader had to be tough as Dragon scales sometimes. She was smiling to try to hide her disappointment but I was no fool. I was a master at reading people.

Fed and rested, we made the short trek to Riverwood. At the Sleeping Giant Inn I found Delphine sitting at a table surrounded by a group of locals. She was arm wrestling Sven. The blonde Nord, who already had several bruises on his face and a scar on his forehead, was sweating with the effort. Delphine appeared to be having a hard time but in her case it was in trying not to laugh. She heard the door and was startled to see us standing there. Sven redoubled his efforts but the crowd cheered and laughed when Delphine smacked his knuckles onto the table, bending his arm unnaturally. She left the battered bard to his misery and greeted us by the door.

"I'm relieved to see you safe," she said to me.

"Your ability to disguise your concern is admirable," I told her, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say it took you a moment to remember who I even was."

"Don't be so obtuse. I'm responsible for too many lives to risk being found out on a hunch. But we shouldn't talk here. Follow me."

She lead us back down into the cellar and sealed it behind us. We sat around the table, sampling some Alto wine I grabbed on the way down. This wine was not as fruity as the stuff back home. I could learn to like it.

"So what did you find out?" she asked.

I tossed the folders I had found down onto the table in front of her. "See for yourself. The Thalmor have nothing to do with the dragons. If anything they think we are responsible for them. There's a man they are especially looking for because of this. An old man named Esbern."

"Esbern? Are you sure?"

"Sure as I can be without torturing one of the elves myself. They were interrogating a man that I was able to set free. He said they wanted to know where Esbern was. All he could tell them was that he thought he was in Riften."

"That makes sense for him to hide there. The Thalmor could not just walk in without alerting everyone," Delphine hesitated but then took a long drink of the wine. "If they want him that means they are interested in the dragons. Esbern is a fellow Blade and knows more about the dragons than anyone. I need you to go to Riften and bring him back here."

"Us?" Lydia asked. "We just returned while you've been here drinking and humiliating the local oafs. You go get him."

"I would, housecarl, but I would not get far into the town before the Black-Briars would have ten knives in my back. That bitch Maven never forgave me for her lover stepping out with me."

"Lover, huh?" I said, "What was her name?"

"What? Do you have troll fat in your ears?"

"Nevermind him," Lydia said, "If we bring him here, then what?"

"If Esbern thinks he needs to come out of hiding, then it must be important. I will do whatever he says and go wherever he goes, secrecy be damned."

"How is he supposed to know you sent us for him?" I asked, "As far as he knows I'm just another dashing young man seeking to solve a mystery."

Delphine rolled here eyes, "Ask him where he was on the 30th of Frostfall. He'll know what it means. When you get to Riften, meet my contact, Brynjolf. He may ask you to do something to prove yourself, but just go along with it. He's always on the lookout for new talent."

We bid Delphine farewell and headed back to Breezehome. Lydia went on about how she did not trust Delphine much. I could not stop wondering what Maven and this two-timing lover looked like.


	25. Day Twenty-three

Day Twenty-three

Sleeping in one's own bed did wonders. I awoke feeling well-rested and ready to go. We had a breakfast of cooked beef, grilled leeks, and apple pie. I figured after such a successful mission that we at least deserved a decent meal. Nature, however does not concur. It rained heavily from Whiterun to Valtheim Keep. I did not see any roadsigns along the way for Riften yet so I kept us pointed in the direction of the town which took us across the river and through Cradlecrush Rock again. It was still empty, though the wolves had had their fill of the overcooked cow on the fire. As we passed, a dragon flew overhead, roaring a challenge but it never passed low enough to engage in a fight. It flew off. Perhaps it was a relative of the one the giant slew and was looking for revenge.

I continued us following the familiar trail past Eldergleam Sanctuary to a spot on the map called Darkwater Pass. The simple people in the mining area seemed to have their own dramas going on so I left as quietly as possible. The last thing I needed was other people's problems. I did get out my pickaxe, though, as I spotted more and more ores of metals with shiny bits stuck in them. I managed to extract several more raw gems while Lydia took the time to practice with her bow on the wildlife. I suggested I could find another pickaxe for her to use and she suggested what I could do with it if I did. I decided to let her relax.

We got into a more wooded area and I stumbled upon a ruin defended by a mage whose hands radiated cold even from a distance. I told her I could not care less about her ritual and tried to go around but she did not believe me. A shard of ice embedded itself into my leg and I felt the coldness go right through my body. Lydia closed in on her which gave me a chance to use my magic on the wound. Blood and water coursed down into my boot as the gash closed. My magic depleted just short of completely healing. If I did not have my natural resistance to cold as a Nord, I might not have healed so well. I quickly joined the fight. Lydia was having trouble reaching her through an elemental barrage of ice. I charged the mage from the side and took a swipe at her. She stopped her spell and created a magic shield to block me. I fixed my stance and delivered a powerful blow to the shield. It knocked her sideways and almost down to one knee. Lydia brought her axe down on the mage's neck and the fight was over.

While Lydia cleaned the gore from her weapon I checked the area for whatever the mage thought was worth dying for. All I could find was a book titled, 'Racial Phylogeny'. From the text it detailed how different races healed slightly different with similar spells. I glanced over at the halved mage. Perhaps a worm could heal from that, if it did not mind being two worms. I also found some sort of cage of Dwemer metal built into some stone. I picked the lock but only found some gold and a blue potion to help with magicka. Some mages were just plain crazy. On to Riften.

I had never been to Riften before and Lydia warned me that it was rife with thieves and cutthroats who actually had their own guild here. I did not doubt it since it seemed there are trainees around every bend of the road in Skyrim. The town appeared out of a fog and right away I was underwhelmed. Nothing about it impressed me which, when I thought about it, was exactly where I would want to hide. The guard at the main gate further lowered my estimation of this place.

"Halt," he said, "You must pay the visitor's tax. Two hundred gold or leave now."

"You sound like a thief I knew once, but you can't be him," I replied, "I slit his throat for trying to steal my money."

The guard put a hand to his sword. "You're not a smart one, are you?"

"Crossing swords with me is not the smart thing, guardsman. I've crapped more adversarial things than you. What sort of shakedown is this anyway?"

"All right, keep your voice down. You may enter."

As I passed the masked guard I stopped and said, "If I had used my voice, you would be sinking to the bottom of that stinking lake by now."

The gates slammed shut behind me. We were barely into the town when some lollygagger leaning against a post got my attention.

"New in town, huh? Be sure to mind your own business and don't even think about crossing the Black-Briars. I'm Maul and you'll deal with me if there's a problem."

Was everyone here looking for a fight, I wondered. "And if I think the Black-Briars are the problem, then what?"

Maul stared for a moment then laughed, "You're either stupid or the new court jester. You'll fit in just fine here either way. Something I can help you with?"

"Now that you mention it, where can I find Maven Black-Briar?"

"Direct, huh? Maven is not someone you find, she finds you. Now go about your business."

I approach closer to the man, then backed off as the smell of fish and sweat curdled my nostrils. "What can you tell me for a few coins?" I handed him a small pouch of gold. It disappeared before I could even look back again.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Who does your make-up? No, seriously, where can I find a man named Brynjolf?"

"He's a merchant, of sorts. Look for him in the market square just up ahead. Don't tell him I sent you. Understand?"

I told him I did, even though I didn't. Probably some personal vendetta thing I was sure I wanted no part of. I nudged Lydia who was quietly sizing up Maul for some reason. She was startled out of her inspection then followed quickly behind, casting the slacker a final smile.

I waded through a motley assortment of citizenry to the market square where I saw several booths with all different races manning them. I could almost smell the skooma in the air. It made me light-headed for a moment. The merchants all looked like they could be part of a thieve's guild so I just went up to the first one I saw.

"Brynjolf?" I asked a well-dressed Nord at a booth who was selling some red potions.

"You've never done an honest day's work in your life, have you?"

What was it with this town? "You've never taken a decent bath in your life, have you? Now are you Brynjolf or not?"

"Who wants to know?"

"I was sent by Delphine. She said he could help me find someone."

"I'm Brynjolf, but I don't do nothing for free. I do have a task you could help me with, however. Do this and I'll help you."

"Fine, she said to expect this, though I was hoping she was just being pessimistic."

"Riften is no place for hope, lad. That will just make the knife cut deeper. Now here's what I need you to do..."

Brynjolf laid out his plan for planting a ring on a fellow merchant. Apparently he was sick of some elf named Brand-Shei disparaging his potions and losing him sales. I thought of the book I found near Solitude about stealing items and wondered if I could do the same just in reverse. Guess I would find out. Lydia said she would keep an eye out for me though she did not think a Thane should lower himself to such deception. I agreed but pointed out Esbern's been hiding for a long time so he was obviously going to be tough to find. This would be much quicker.

Brynjolf created a distraction and the plan went off without a hitch. I even decided to help myself to a few shiny extras from Madesi's lockbox. Thieves should not have such nice things for themselves, I rationalized. After the crowd dispersed, a tall, gorgeous blonde suggested I stay at the Bunkhouse that night. The Bee and Barb was no place for the likes of me. I whole-heartedly agreed with her and told her to keep an eye out for me. I was intrigued with what she could show me.

Brynjolf watched the woman walk away then clapped me on the shoulder. "Haela's quite a woman, friend. I'd be careful with her though. They say she used to perform with a traveling show, some kind of sword swallower or something like that. There was nothing she could not make disappear."

"Really?" I said, more intrigued now than ever.

"That ruse worked better than I expected. Here's your payment for your part. There's more work for you if you are interested, though some may get messier than others, if you know what I mean."

He seemed nice enough but for a guild falling on hard times, he seemed awfully well off. Something told me he was holding back. I declined his offer.

"I'm here looking for someone, an old man reported to be here. Do you think you can help me find him?"

"Possibly, but I don't like discussing work out here in the open. Find your way to the Ragged Flagon in the Ratway and we'll talk in privacy there."

I reluctantly agreed. As I left to find this dubious sounding place, a guard approached Brand-Shei and told him he was under arrest. The elf protested and thought of running but the guard pulls out a long mace with 'Elf Tamer' written along the side.

"Give me a reason, Elf," the guard pleaded, "Any reason at all."

Brand-Shei audibly swallowed then gave up without a fight.

I shrugged and Lydia just shook her head. I left to find the thieve's warren.  
It did not take long to find the Ratway. Lydia suggested we watch where the more unsavory of the crowd went and followed them. Sure enough, below the walkway we found a door with R.W. carved on it. We entered there and at the end of a dank, filth-ridden tunnel we were attacked by two eager bandits pretending to act civilized. They paid for their poor judgement quickly enough and actually had some gold and a nice loose ruby in one pocket. I thanked their cooling corpses and moved on.

I was forced to stop at a ledge. There was a drawbride on the other side but the controls were over there too.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Looks like we have to jump down," Lydia said, "It doesn't look far."

I could hear skeevers scratching around down below. No doubt there were packs of them running around. They probably named this place after its most prominent denizens. With no other way to go, I sat on the edge and dropped down, hoping to crush a skeever or two. I missed but I made up for it by killing two with my sword, not an easy task since they were so small and quick. Lydia joined me with her axe ready.

"Ever had roasted skeever jerky?" she asked, "It's not bad if you get all the bristly hairs off."

"Don't make me vomit. This place smells bad enough. Come on."

I was about to open a door when Lydia tapped me on the shoulder with her axe. "Ralos, wait."

I froze. "What?"

"The bottom of the door has a trip wire."

I looked closer. How the Nines did she see that? I deactivated it and proceeded, slower this time. "See, that's why I keep you around," I said.

"I thought it was for something to look at when you did not want to take the lead while walking."

How did she know that? I wondered. Obviously she did not mind. Suited me fine. Adventuring sure did bring out a different side of Lydia.

I came to a chamber with bear traps on the floor. I pointed them out and we easily got around them. There was only one exit, so I approached the door but before I could open it, a voice inside called out.

"Is someone there?"

From inside I heard a bear trap snap closed and the voice began cursing up a storm of profanity. I took a chance on catching him distracted and busted through the door. Inside I found a big lout of a man, waiting to fight but with only his fists. I showed him my sword.

"Put your fists away before I make you eat them." I said.

Despite his bulk, he lunged and caught me on the helm with a right cross. It sounded as if a gong was struck beside me. I lurched to the side to give myself room and to let Lydia enter the fray. His next swing went wide as I dodged backwards. Lydia gashed him with her sword and I jumped forward to slice off whatever I could. He hit hard, as my dented helm could attest to, but his lack of armor did him in. Moments later I sent his lumpy head to rest beside his cooking pot. I checked out his hands and sure enough he was wearing a set of glowing gauntlets. I relieved his body of them and gave them to Lydia to stash away.

I followed the only open path up a flight of stairs. A swinging log trap barely missed me. Good thing I liked to cling to the walls when stalking my prey. This way lead to an odd room with a variety of plants growing in a circle of light from the ceiling. The light beamed directly down on a chopping block with an iron battleaxe embedded in it. In the next room I could smell food and slowed down to a crouching walk. I surprised some female lowlife in the middle of a snack.

"Never should have come here," she declared, a popular saying among those about to die.

Despite wielding her two daggers with skill, she was no match for me and the wolf Lydia summoned. I searched the room for anything valuable while the spectral wolf tried, quite humorously, to eat a heel of bread on the table. His ghostly muzzle kept passing through it until he finally howled in frustration then vanished. The only things I found were a book titled, 'Beggar' that describes how to beg for coin while stealing the whole purse, and a staff. The staff I gave to Lydia and she said it looked like one that shot flames. She pointed it at the bread and a gout of flames burned it to ash.

She grinned. "And you thought I was hot before."

"What? I never said that."

"Ah, so you keep me around for my fighting skills?"

"Well, you do have nice big axe."

"You did say 'axe', right?"

"Uh, sure. Let's see where this way leads."

One tunnel later I found a door with a wooden plaque reading, 'Ragged Flagon'. We went through and found ourselves in an enormous underground cave complete with lake, docks, storage areas, and of course, a bar. Everyone seemed to be located at the bar on the other side of the small lake so I headed there. I spotted Brynjolf but he was busy talking to someone so instead, I spoke to the barkeep.

"You better have some coin," he said before I could utter a word, "ain't nothing free down here. Of course, some things can be arranged." He winked at Lydia.

Lydia reciprocated with a gesture I thought only sailors and convicts knew.

The barkeep laughed and turned back to me, "Fine woman you got there. Nice long fingers. Name's Vekel the Man. What can I get for you?"

"I'm Ralos, also a man. I'm looking for information."

"Sorry, that's not on the menu today."

"Sure it is, says so right there."

"Where?" he asks.

I toss a pouch a coins on the counter. "Inside there."

Vekel opened the pouch. "I'll be damned, you're right. I see it now, but we only have a little here."

"That's all right, I only need a little. I'm looking for an old man said to be down here."

"Lots of old men come here, some just to die."

"Well, this one is still living and is supposed to have been in hiding for years."

"Ah, you must mean Esbern. Crazy old kook. He never leaves, even has his meals brought to him. Check the Warrens, that way through the Ratway Vault."

Brynjolf was just finishing his conversation when he got my attention.

"Find out what you needed?" he asked.

"I'll see, though the directions were pretty vague."

"I've got another job for you, if you're interested. Some people in town need some reminding of the debts they owe. I just need you to..."

"No thanks," I said quickly, "I've got enough to do right now without wasting time roughing up townspeople."

"Pardon me, Your Majesty. I did not mean to ruffle your royal feathers. Come see me, if you survive the fall from your high horse. And you will fall eventually, count on it."

Brynjolf stalked away. Behind him I saw a striking blonde woman in black leather armor standing with her arms folded in front of her and leaning against the railing. I did not want to be too antisocial, now did I. I approached her.

"Good day. Are you all right?"

She sneered, "Yes, why do you ask?"

"It must be a long fall from the heavens. I hope they have a replacement for their goddess of beauty."

A knife appeared at my throat. "They said I could return if I brought them the tongue of an ass. Until I met you, I thought they had misspoke." She looked over at Lydia and leaned back against the railing again. She ran the knife over her full lips. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Lydia. I'm here as a companion to the Thane of Whiterun," she nodded towards me.

The blonde spared me another glance then scoffed. "My name is Vex," she said to Lydia, "when you are done with this one, which should not be long, come back and see me. I think we would work well together."

Vex took her time leaving. I thought Lydia was actually blushing.

"Maybe I should introduce her to Delphine," I said. "Let's go. These people make no sense."

I went through the door Vekel had indicated and found myself in another dark tunnel. At the end I could hear people talking and if I was not mistaken, they sounded like elves. I crept along until I could see who it was. I was stunned to see a Thalmor wizard standing on the other side of the room facing away from me. How the Nines did they get here before me and why didn't the thieves back at the bar warn me? Unless there's some other way down here, those losers would have some explaining to do. First I needed to take out this fool standing with his back to me. I drew out a steel dagger I kept for just such an occasion. I took two steps and the Thalmor spun around. "Who's there?"

Damn it! I needed to invest in some sort of sneaking shoes. I sheathed the dagger and ran at the wizard, unleashing my sword as I went. He managed to launch one of those ice spikes at me before I could close the distance. I got in two quick shots then I saw flames coursing over the wizard. I assumed Lydia had brought out her flame staff. The wizard's spells fizzled in his scorched hands and he was forced to go for his dagger. He obviously only had it for rituals because he tried to block my sword with it. It spun away still gripped in his hand and he died in the corner.

I turned just in time to see two Thalmor soldiers appear at the end of a corridor. Magical swords materialized in their hands and I backed up to fight them out in the open where Lydia could help. To my surprise, Lydia pointed a staff at the cut-down wizard and he rose up, glowing and expressionless. I engaged the soldiers but they did not last long as their former leader started hurling balls of fire at them from behind. After the second fell to my sword I looked over at the wizard who was just standing still, then at Lydia.

"Did you really do that?" I asked her.

She held out the staff I had asked her to keep covered. "I wanted to try it out," she said, grinning. "It must be powerful to be able to raise a Thalmor wizard."

"That was impressive. Now put that thing back under wraps. I don't want someone else finding it and using it. We don't need it against these guys."

Reluctantly, Lydia did as she's told and we moved on.

We enterd a lower chamber and I could hear a woman talking in another room. She was going through a list of items but apparently she was missing her inkpot. I thought the feather must have fallen off her quill a long time ago. She sounded a bit deranged because she kept repeating the list and the missing item over and over. I stepped up to a door and could tell she was in there. I left her to her tallying. I found another room at the base of the stairs but inside was just a man sitting alone in a room. He did not react to my presence so I just closed the door and left him. There are all sorts of problem people here.

I proceeded up the stairs and saw a man in a chef's uniform napping on some straw. He must have been pretty low ranking to have such fine accommodations. Or, as I soon found out, he had a temper problem. He brandished a meat cleaver and rushed at me screaming. Two hits from me later his head flew across the room, leaving his hat and body behind in perfect placement.

I left his body bleeding out in the straw and stopped at a locked door at the end of the hall. I knocked and right away a man slid a small door open at eye level.

"Who's there? What do you want?"

"I'm looking for a man named Esbern. Do you know him?"

"I'm sorry there's no one here by that name. Good day."

"Delphine sent me."

That made him pause. This had to be him.

"Delphine? How do I know this isn't some trick?"

"She said to ask you where you were on the 30th of Frostfall."

The man laughed. "That's Delphine all right. But what do you want? Why are you here?"

"Let me in and I'll explain."

He thought for a moment, "All right, just give me a minute."

Esbern closed the little door and started unlocking the big one. He must have had at least ten locks on it. He apologized for the delay. He probably had not unlocked them all in a long time. Finally he slid the last one and opened the door.

"Come in, come in, quickly now."

We entered the chamber. It was warm and well lit with food and books all over. Looked like a very comfortable place to hide out, if you did not mind being surrounded by crazies and cutpurses. At least it was good from a man's perspective. Lydia ran her fingers along the table and showed me the grime she picked up.

"Charming," she remarked sarcastically.

"Thank you, dear lady. I, eh, don't get many women callers down here. My, my," Esbern cleared his throat. "Now what's all this about?"

I took a seat at the table, "Delphine said you could help us defeat Alduin."

"Alduin? He's returned? We're doomed! Doomed! Fighting is useless. The prophecies are coming true. The world eater has risen! We're doomed! Doomed, I tell you!"

"So what you're saying is we're doomed?" I said.

"Our only chance is for a Dragonborn to step forth. But we haven't seen one of those in centuries."

I stood and stepped up to him, "Well, now you have. I've tasted the souls of dragons and I've been initiated by the Greybeards themselves. Delphine will confirm it, also."

"You? Can it be true?" he said, justifiably awed to be in my presence. "I suppose if Delphine sent you it must be true. Prophecies are known to have divergent lines of time. There can be no waiting now. Take me to Delphine. Alduin's reign must end now."

"Now you're talking."

"Just let me grab a few essentials and we'll be off."

While he found extra garb or food or whatever, I helped myself to everything else he left behind including a book titled, "Fire and Darkness" that showed how to best get inside an opponent's guard with a short sword. Nice. I also found a dagger lying around that was almost too cold to touch. I wrapped it in some linen cloth and handed it to Lydia to carry.

"I am sworn to carry your burdens," she muttered, again.

"You know, I never get tired of hearing that. Say it again, slower this time. Oh, now that gesture is just uncalled for. Do it again."

"All right, let's go," Esbern said.

Esbern led the way out of the room and as soon as we left I heard a voice call out.

"I knew I'd find you here. There is no escape now."

I heard someone talking but I did not see anyone. I noticed sparks from below behind a set of bars. The three of us went down the stairs ready to fight. I saw a Thalmor pacing behind the bars trying to cast some lightning spell through them. Behind him I could see one of those huge frost atronochs bumping into him.

"Get back, you cursed walking ice cube," the wizard said, "Bust through this wall, will you?"

A Thalmor guard attacked from the right but the three of us cut him down in moments. I stepped up to the bars and tried to poke at the wizard through the bars but he dodged, nearly tripping over the atronoch.

"You'll regret that," he yelled, still trying to cast his spells at me.

I looked over to see Esbern and Lydia disappear through a tunnel. I followed and came up to them fighting with the wizard. Obviously the Thalmor must have been low on wizards to send one that can not follow a simple tunnel. The Thalmor's atronoch was gone and he seemed to be having trouble keeping up any other spell as Esbern sprayed him with his a sparking spell of his own. Typically, he tried to flee at the last second but I caught him in the back and he fell face first into the wall.

"We should go quickly," Esbern said, "The Thalmor are like the rats down here. Where there's one, there'll be more."

We backtracked and the way was quicker now that the drawbridge could be lowered. I did come across a room with some chests in it that yielded some nice gems and a necklace. Besides that, the escape was uneventful.

Back above the Ratway, I see Lydia holding a new bow.

"Where did you get that?" I asked her.

She looked at me oddly, "You were right there. It was in the big chest in that room with the other chests. You probably didn't see it because there was an emerald the size of your knuckle in there as well."

"Chests are favorite things to check out."

"Obviously."

"That bow doesn't look like anything special. Can you tell anything from holding it?"

Lydia inspected it closer, "No, but look here. There's a name on it, 'Dravin'."

"Dravin?" I said, "That's a dumb name for a bow. I'd call it 'Shaft Slinger' or 'The Penetrator'."

"You would. It's probably the owner's name."

I grinned, "Same goes."

"Pig."

"Can we keep going, please?" Esbern said. "You can have your lovers' squabble while we walk."

"Lovers' squabble?" I choked out.

"Hardly," Lydia said.

"Look, it's already late," I said, changing the subject, "Let's just quietly get a room and take the carriage to Riverwood in the morning."

Esbern looked shocked, "Riverwood? Don't tell me she's still with Orgnar."

"You just want to stay here to find that slut, Haela," Lydia said to me.

"That's ridiculous," I objected, "She's probably not even still up, do you think?"

Lydia sighed, "Just go check out the other inn for Thalmor and rent us a room. I'll wait here with Esbern."

I threw my hands up and headed for the Bee and Barb. Just as I got under the light from the front door an Argonian woman rushed at me with a dagger.

"You should not have meddled in the affairs of the Thalmor!" she hissed.

I did not have my weapon out and her attack was too swift for me to even shout. Her dagger expertly found the few weak spots in my armor and I was hoping she did not lace the blade with poison. I shoulder bashed her to get some space then whipped my sword out, aiming the blade for her nose. She leaned back out of the way then jumped at me again with her dagger aimed for my neck. I somehow managed to block but it still cut me on the shoulder. I punched her in the snout with a fistful of steel and she reeled back, choking on blood and teeth. My sword chopped down onto her unarmored back then once more at her neck, severing it save for a flap of scaly hide.

I looked around but if anyone saw the fight, they were not willing to reveal themselves as witnesses. I cleaned my blade off on her dress then searched her for anything telling or valuable. She had quite a bit of gold and a note partially stained with her warm blood. It smelled of skooma. I took a long sniff from it. Reading it, I learned I had been being watched for some time. They tracked me to Riften and finally ordered this, Shavari, to kill me. It was signed simply by 'E.'. Who the Nines would that be? Why they thought a lizard in a dress could kill the Dragonborn of destiny I have no idea. I dragged the Argonian to the water and dumped her over the edge.

Now that my blood was pumping nicely, it was time to find this Haela. Oh, and first find a room for the other two.


	26. Day Twenty-four & five

Day Twenty-four

I woke to a fright. Esbern's face was hovering over me trying to get me moving. I shooed him away and thought my morning was already ruined until I bumped into someone laying next to me. I smiled, remembering how it was not too late for Haela after all. It just goes to show the locals always know the best places to go for a good time.

I met Esbern and Lydia downstairs for breakfast. Lydia, as usual, had a huge plate of food that was vanishing fast. I met Esbern at the bar to order some food myself.

"These late night adventures can really work up an appetite, ay Esbern?"

Haela happened to walk by just then, smiling and adjusting her overflowing blouse.

Esbern looked from her to me to Lydia, then shook his head. "I'll never understand this new generation. Right in front of his woman. Still, I can see the advantages..."

"Lay low, old man," I said, "We don't want any more trouble before we can leave."

"You mean like leaving floating Argonian corpses where everyone can see them? I'll try my best."

Esbern went to sit with Lydia, turning his chair to not face me. Whatever.  
I did not trust Esbern to be able to keep up with us on the long trek back to Whiterun then to Riverwood, so I hired the carriage from the stables to take us. It meant having to listen to the driver regale us with his tedious tales, but at least we would get there before the actual end of the world. On the way, I mentioned to Lydia and Esbern the note I found on Shavari. Right away Lydia said the 'E' probably stood for Elewen. Why I did not think of that, I could not say but I reluctantly agreed with her that it was pretty obvious. That stuck in my craw the whole trip, especially as Lydia made a game out of it. "What's that big thing with all the leaves? Starts with a 'T'." Yeah, that got old quick.

It was midnight by the time we reached Whiterun. Even Esbern was too tired to go any further and Delphine was probably asleep or out doing her nighttime activities, whatever they were. I settled us down in Breezehome after a small dinner and rested until morning.

Day Twenty-five

Esbern was the first to come downstairs. He stretched and breathed deep before exhaling heartily. "Best night's sleep I've had in years. Why, Dragonborn, you look terrible. Are you ill?"

I glanced over at him from the table as I chewed on a strip of cooked beef. "I'm fine, old man. Find something to eat and do it quietly."

Lydia appeared right behind Esbern.

"Our Dragonborn is just grumpy from sleeping all night on a pile of hay and using a sack of potatoes for a pillow," she said.

"I was being nice," I growled, "I thought Esbern should have the bed."

Lydia laughed, "The thought never occurred to you. You just wanted to keep an eye on your little stash of shiny things, especially with a stranger in the house."

A sharp pain shot through my neck as I moved to object. "That's absurd. Now eat something so we can go. I've already been up for an hour waiting for you two."

"Have some wine and relax," Lydia said, "Nature calls, first."

"Can't you do that when we get there?" I asked, but she was already headed out the door. I grabbed a bottle of ale in front of me and take a long swig from it.

"Are you sure you two aren't married?" Esbern asked.

"Perhaps you'd like it back in your hidey-hole, old man?"

Esbern surrendered and went back to eating by the fire.

A short time later we walked it to Riverwood. Esbern kept up better than I expected even in the rain that was coming down. Delphine was waiting right inside the door of the inn and their greetings are genuinely touching, like father and daughter. Delphine led us back to the cellar so we could discuss things in private.

Once we were all down there, Delphine started with a revelation about herself. She said she was the last of the Blades and now her purpose was clear - she must stop the dragons even if it meant killing them down to the last one.

"I don't know if I care for that idea," I said, "I had plans of my own for the beasts, and remember I am the Dragonborn. What happened to all the other Blades anyway?"

"The Thalmor hunted us down long ago when they caught us spying on them and reporting to the Emperor of their plans of conquest. We fought but their numbers were disguised and they eventually overwhelmed us."

"The Thalmor may yet be involved," said Lydia. "They've been tracking the movements of Ralos since they let us leave the Embassy."

"What do you mean, 'let us leave'?" I asked.

"Please, they let us go. It's the only explanation for the ease of our escape."

"Easy? You call that easy?"

"They're tracking us."

"Tracking? Not this Dragonborn, sister."

Delphine stopped us by stepping between, "I only hope Esbern here knows of a weakness in Alduin's defenses."

"I may know of a way to find one," Esbern said, taking a thick book from his pack and putting it on the table. "We must go to Skyhaven Temple. According to my collected notes here, the Blades of old constructed Alduin's Wall which depicts the history of the Blades as well as the prophecy I mentioned of Alduin and the rebirth of the dragons."

"Where is this temple?" I asked.

"In the crags of the Reach. It is a difficult climb but not impossible."

"Wait," Delphine said, "A temple in the mountains of the Reach? You must mean Karthspire. I've been in the area before, I know where you're talking about."

Delphine marked it on my map. "We have a better chance of getting there all in one piece if we go together but, it's your call, Dragonborn."

"It's taken us this long to get us all together, we might as well stay like this. There's no sense in some of us getting there and waiting while others are still walking or dead."

Delphine agreed and we decided there was no time like the present to start on our way. Upstairs, Delphine said goodbye to Orgnar and that the inn is all his since she might not be coming back.

"Well, isn't that something?" Orgnar said.

Him and his honeyed words. I grabbed a few more necessary provisions for the trip, trying to keep the clinking to a minimum. Delphine also let us load up food and other incidentals. It was still mid-morning when we left Riverwood.

We skirted Whiterun and the Western Watchtower and followed the road, keeping a distance from a fort rife with bandits. I would go back for them later. Beyond that I saw a dragon flying in the distance. I could not tell for sure but it may have been Alduin, judging by the shape of the wings. I alerted the others and sprinted towards the beast, much to their dismay. He escaped from me last time and I was not going to be so charitable now.

By the time I reached him he was already fighting with something on the ground. I crested a hill and saw two giants running about waving their clubs at him. Now that I was closer, I saw the dragon is not Alduin. But I was hungry for a dragon soul to learn more of the shouts with so I ran to the fight.

The dragon landed, which was its fatal mistake. It obviously did not know the strength of the giants. By the time I reached it to strike with my sword it was already bleeding heavily and half dead. The giants seemed not to notice the dragon's fiery breath and kept beating it with their stone and bone clubs. Before my companions could even arrive to help, the dragon perished. I savored its soul as the giants shouldered their weapons and walked away.

Esbern stood next to me as I picked a ruby out of the remains of the dragon's skeleton. "Even seeing it for myself, it is hard to believe," the old man said, "The dragon's are truly being brought back from the dead."

"Was there ever any doubt?" I asked.

"It was hard to believe. But this dragon, his name was Voljotnaak. The hands of prophecy are at work. I had my doubts but this was the last dragon I helped put down before being forced into hiding. It is no coincidence it is the first I see and the first soul I witness you consuming. I am fully committed to your cause, Dragonborn. Where you lead, I will follow."

I looked around. Lydia was standing with Delphine at the other end of the dragon picking up some souvenir bones from its tail. I leaned in towards Esbern. "Now that's what I like to hear, someone with some sense. I would appreciate it if you could try and inspire some of that devotion out of my housecarl over there. She's a bit lacking in the respect part and a bit over-zealous in the bullying part."

"Really? That often happens with lovers..."

"We're not lovers," I hissed quietly. "One time she even stabbed my with her dagger."

Esbern gasped, "She stabbed the Dragonborn?"

"Well, it was more of a poke, but it still hurt."

"Were you arguing or fighting? Did she refuse to do as she was told?"

"That goes without saying. I may have accidentally touched her backside while we were forced to share a bed."

Esbern's face went from outraged to skeptical in a matter of moments.

"Accidentally? It does look like it would be hard not to touch in such close quarters."

"Exactly. I mean, you've seen it. It's so big."

"What's so big?" Lydia asked, sneaking up behind me.

Esbern said, "Your bu..."

"Your beautiful smile," I interjected, "Why, it's as big as all outdoors. Big and beautiful. Isn't that right, Esbern?"

"It is indeed a sight everyone should enjoy." He winked at me. I nodded back.

"Shall we move on?" I suggested.

Lydia stopped me as I headed back towards the road. "Do you really like my smile?"

"I can't get enough of it. In fact," I said, then waved her gallantly forward, "After you."

She smiled then went first and I followed a few steps behind her. Now it was my turn to smile.

We continued West until we come to a fork in the road. I chose the left way because that seemed more in the direction we needed to go. Right away I saw a black and white horse dead just off the road. It obviously was not a wild horse so my first thought was bandits. They were more numerous that mountain flowers in this land. Not far from the horse was an upturned cart and a dead Argonian. His tail was still moving so I wondered if it was a fresh attack. I had no idea how long the tails kept moving. Kind of creepy, really. The smell of blood was on the breeze that blew past me. My guess is the bandits were not far.

"Look sharp," I told everyone, "This road is an ambush waiting to happen."

I sifted through the objects strewn about the cart and found a book titled, 'Dance in Fire Ch.7'. The entire text was nothing but pick-up lines for desperate men frequenting taverns on a nightly basis. I saw a couple I thought I had actually used before. I did not remember if they worked or not but I could not wait to try a few of the others out. I put the book in my pack for later.

We came to another road branching off to the left and I heard a woman calling for help. Before I could even look up, some ruffian dressed like a maniac ran at me dual-wielding axes. Despite his ridiculous outfit, he fought well with the two hand-made weapons. I was forced to shout him across the road, catching one of his fellow bandits as well.

Lydia ran up to me, "Forsworn."

"What? I swore nothing except to give up skooma, and I haven't touched the stuff, thought of it, maybe..."

"Not you, fool. Those bandits. They're part of a cult called the Forsworn. They're nothing but a plague on Tamriel."

With that, Lydia ran at them, brandishing her axe with wide, deadly sweeps. From out of nowhere a horse appeared and ran at the bandits, followed by a woman holding a dagger. That must have been who I heard cry for help. This was turning into quite the fray. The horse was doing a number on the crazy cultists, especially with Lydia harrying them also. I ran up just as a third Forsworn arrived. I took this new one on myself, starting with a shout of frost to slow him down. He had an odd looking sword, definitely hand-made and with feathers attached to it of all things. He would have been better off trying to use those feathers to fly for all the good it did him. Well, his head went flying anyway.

Esbern and Delphine finally showed up but by then the party was over. I knew that old man would slow us down. The female peddler walked off with her horse without so much as a thank you. Even the law abiding citizens had little use of manners. I checked the Forsworn but they must swear off extraneous property, as well as baths, because I found nothing worth taking. Of course, I would not mind seeing Lydia try on one of their outfits. I wondered if as Thane I could institute a dress code, at least for Breezehome?

The road further on held no more Forsworn, only wolves. Lots of wolves. By the time I saw the next inn, I had enough pelts to cover its roof. The inn was called Old Hroldan. Maybe back when it was New Hroldan it was busy but a man sitting on the front step had a pile of shavings from whitling so big I thought he was starting a bonfire.

Inside, I did not get two steps in before some little brat pointed his stubby finger at me and said, "Drink too much and get out. No drunks allowed."

"You remind me of my nephew," I said then draw my sword, "I hated my nephew."

The kid ran off and I laughed until I coughed.

"Was that nice?" Lydia asked, swatting me in the head.

"I was only joking. He ran like a bat out of Hells, though, didn't he?"

I stepped up to the counter. The innkeeper was comely for such a deserted place.

"Don't mind Skuli," she said, "He means well and is a good worker. I'm Eydis. Will you be wanting Septim Tiber's room?"

Lydia perked up, "Septim Tiber stayed here?"

"Indeed, right after the big war. Made this place his headquarters."

"We'll take it," Lydia said.

"Have a good rest, then," Eydis said, "It's the big room with the double bed."

I perked up, "Really?"

"Oh, that'll be perfect, won't it, Ralos," Lydia said.

"It will?"

"Don't act like you weren't thinking the same thing."

"I was thinking it all right," I said, grinning.

"Poor old Esbern won't have to sleep on the floor after all. You're so kind to think of him."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Of course I am."

Lydia rapped me on the head again, "Of course you are. Pig."

Eydis led us to the room. I rubbed my head and followed.

"Hey, Lydia," I said, "What do you think of dress codes?"


	27. Day Twenty-six

Day Twenty-six

I awoke before everyone else, most likely because the rug on the floor I was lying on was making me itch. Everyone else in the room was in a bed. I found a book on one of the dressers titled, 'Battle of Sancre Tor'. Right away I was enthralled with the descriptions of the battles and even learned a trick or two to use with my sword. I was about to put the book down and get some more sleep when we were all startled awake by a scream. I grabbed my sword and ran out into the inn's main room wearing only my smallclothes. Skuli, who was standing by the counter near Eydis, saw me with my weapon bared and ran away again.

"What the Nines was that?" I asked Eydis, "Who screamed?"

"I beg your pardon, my Lord," she said, blushing, "That was me. There's no need to have that out. Or that."

Lydia and the others appear at the doorway.

"Sleep-flashing again, Ralos," Lydia said.

"You were right, Lydia," Delphine said, "He does like waving that around."

"Have you no decency, man?" Esbern chided.

I rolled my eyes and adjusted myself appropriately. "Why did you scream like that?"

"I saw a ghost, wandering around like it owned the place. I had heard rumors this place was haunted but I never saw anything until now. I think it was one of Tiber Septim's men. Look, there it is."

Eydis pointed to the far end of the room. I did indeed see a spectral form sitting in a chair. He was dressed in older armor with a horned helmet and sporting the full beard and mustache of a seasoned campaigner. I sheathed my sword and approached it cautiously. The others crept behind me.

"Hjalter, is that you?" the ghost said, "I've been waiting."

"What do you want?" I said.

"Give me your sword and we will be sworn brothers once again."

I had no idea what he was talking about. But for a warrior to return from the dead, the sword must be special in some way. It would be nice to add to my budding collection. "I'll find it," I told the ghost.

The ghost merely nodded and started walking around the room.

I approached Eydis and she told me she heard of a missing sword from a passing Bard once. She marked on my map where it might be.

"We don't have time for that now," Delphine said, "Alduin must be dealt with first, then you can go on your little treasure hunt."

"I'm well aware of my priorities, Blade," I told her, "I'm merely gathering information. This weapon may be of use for my ultimate goal. I am Dragonborn but my legacy will not stop when the dragons have been dealt with. Isn't that right, Esbern?"

The old man hesitated, looking from me to Delphine and back, "You are indeed Dragonborn."

Delphine scoffed then she and Lydia went back into the room, closing the door behind them.

"Thanks for your support," I said to Esbern. "Hope you're quicker with your magic than you are with your tongue."

Esbern tried to mumble some sort of apology. I ignored him and went to the room but the door was locked. Delphine yelled that they are preparing for the day, whatever that meant. "I need clothes," I yelled back. They ignored me.

I turned back to Eydis. "Do you see what I'm dealing with?"

"Indeed I do," she said, looking down and grinning.

I turned back around and readjusted myself again. I banged on the door. "Clothes, please."

As soon as I stepped outside I heard a dragon roar. It sounded like it is pretty close, too, but I did not see anything flying around. I led the party back to the main road and took the bridge across the raging river and past the falls. I scared a goat lying on the road but it did not get far before it was set upon by two wolves. Still hungry from their kill, they turned towards us. I let them get close enough then force shouted them into the river. That never got old. I watched them tumble down into the water but I also caught sight of a dragon on the other side. It must have been the one I heard and it must also have heard me. It circled once then headed straight towards me. I was not ready to shout again so I got my bow out as did Lydia and Delphine. Esbern's hands began to glow, one blue, one red with flames. A flame atronoch appeared nearby and I almost aimed at it before I realized it must be Esbern's.

The dragon swooped in fast and left a trail of fire in its wake that enveloped me and Lydia. I managed to get off one shot before I stopped to drink down a few healing potions as well as a purplish potion Esbern said helped regenerate health. It tasted like bile and felt like pine needles going down but it did seem to help. I prepared for another pass of the dragon but it wheeled off and started attacking something further down the road. After a moment I saw magic being hurled back at it. Whatever it was, it was no animal.

"That's a damn blood dragon," Esbern said, "I thought I'd never see the likes of their ilk again."

"Are they different than the others?" I asked.

"Same animal, but meaner, stronger, and dumber than the others. He's the bully of the dragon world."

"Well, let's go help whoever it is over there," I said, picking up my pace towards them, "They obviously have no love for them either."

"We should be cautious," said Lydia. "This is Forsworn country, remember. They have no love for anyone who is not them."

"Karthspire is that way anyway," Delphine pointed out, "We don't have much of a choice."

That settled, we rushed headlong into the fight. It turned out the fight found us. The blood dragon broke off his attack and flew over to the other side of the river and landed. Lydia was right, again. The dragon had been fighting a group of Forsworn. With no dragon, they attacked us. Even with the four of us, the fighting is tough. The Forsworn were spread out among a tangle of ramps and tents over a pond and it was difficult to tell where an arrow or magical spike of ice was coming from. Take a wrong step and you could find yourself in the water and have to meander through posts to find the way back. I nearly exhausted my supply of potions trying to reach the archers as they pelted me with their arrows. I needed to find a way to block or evade those things.

My twisting path of battle led me to be able to sneak up on a hagraven that was engaged in a fight with Lydia and Delphine. It figured those things would team up with those Forsworn lunatics. I hit the thing with all my strength and it staggered forward but did not go down. I ran to its side and before it could recover I shouted it into a stone wall beside the piers. She hit it and bounced back where the three of us chopped her into hagraven chum for the slaughterfish beneath us. We cleaned up the few straggling cultists and I checked for any valuables or potions before we moved on.

I could not help but feel I had forgotten something.

At the top of the hill, I ran full into a blast of fire from the blood dragon. I had forgotten about it during the fight and it had lain in wait for us. I managed to drop down to a lower level and healed myself with my magic just in time. I had not fully healed from the fighting and had not bothered since the Forsworn were all dead. The lapse nearly cost me as my vision had gone almost completely red with pain. I would not make that mistake again. Once healed, I jumped back up to the clearing and got beside the dragon to plunge my sword into its side for the killing blow. Its soul actually did taste of blood.

Once I was satisfied I had found all the good loot I was going to find, I caught Esbern's attention. He was busy studying the blood dragon's skeleton.

"Now that all these little distractions are taken care of," I said nonchalantly, "where's this Karthspire? I could use a rest."

Esbern looked to the other side of the river and squinted. "That's it over there. It looks like these Forsworn have been using it for a camp or headquarters because their docks lead right up to the steps."

I looked where he indicated. "All I see is a cave. Is it on the other side?"

"No, it is the cave."

"Honestly? With a name like Karthspire I expected something grand with walls and turrets and half-naked maidens dancing around a pole in the courtyard."

Delphine started towards the cave, "I'm sure there will be more Forsworn inside. There's bound to be axe-wielders and archers, but I don't think you'll find any pole dancers."

"Pole dancers?" I wondered aloud. That gave me an idea. "Hey, Lydia, you don't care for the dress code thing but how are you at dancing?"

Inside the cave we were immediately attacked by two Forsworn camping right on the floor. As we fought them, two more showed up on a higher platform, one shooting arrows and the other one charging in like a bear, complete with a bear scalp atop his head. I started fighting the bear one and something about him made me pause long enough for him to get a critical strike in on me. His entire heart was exposed! And here I thought that would have been a bad thing, but the warrior hit harder than the rest did. In fact, I was forced to shout him across the room to give myself time to heal with magic. By the time he returned to fighting, I was healed and ready for his attacks as well as backed up by Lydia who had finished off the archer. An intense exchange of blows led to him collapsing onto his back where I could get a better look at his inside-out condition. The exposed heart was held in by leather straps and was still beating, although slower and more erratically.

"Briar Heart warrior," Esbern said, looking down at it. "Foul creation. Not alive but not quite dead either. I don't suppose he will need this any longer."

The old man reached down and cut away the heart from the body and placed it in an oiled sack on his belt.

"I have some chicken and cheese left if you're that hungry," I said.

"Don't be daft. These hearts are crucial for some very powerful potions and smithing applications. And they are very expensive, especially since I'm currently between jobs. Shall we proceed? I think we are getting close to the Blades headquarters of old."

We must have caught the Forsworn off guard because we did not encounter any more. The only tunnel led to large, high cavern with stairs on one end leading to a set of pedestals and a closed drawbridge on the other. I climbed the stairs to the pedestals but saw no release for the bridge. It must be some sort of puzzle. Esbern pointed out the symbols shown stand for king, warrior, and dragon. I pushed on the first pedestal and it turned from the king symbol to the dragon.

"Yes, yes," Esbern said excitedly, "the dragon is the key. This is the Blades, after all."

I shrugged and turned the middle stone to the dragon symbol also. I hear a click and the drawbridge gracefully lowered. We crossed the bridge and I assumed from the thick layer of dust on the floor that the puzzle must have stumped the Forsworn. Perhaps they should try transplanting Briar brains instead of hearts to increase their mental strength. After following a short passage, I stopped us at the entrance of an odd room with tiles on the floor showing the same symbols as on the pedestals. The room was very quiet.

Lydia stepped forward, "It is just a room," she said, "There is nothing to fear here."

I stopped her, pushing her against the wall so she could not take another step. "That's what frightens me."

I grabbed a torch off the wall for a better look. After a moment the pattern leapt out at me. The only connecting path across was by using the tiles that stood for dragon. Tricky Blades.

"Wait here," I told Lydia and the others.

"If you insist, Ralos" Lydia answered, "though we could do without the dramatics."

I smirked and started across, keeping to the dragon tiles. Halfway across I nearly lost my balance, teetering on one foot. I quickly recovered before I fell on one of the wrong ones. There was a chain at the end and I gave it a tug. The others crossed safely.

"Was all that necessary?" Lydia asked as she passed me.

"Exploring dungeons ain't like dusting corpses, girl. One wrong step and the next thing you know you're busting out of coffins in search of warm blood."

I followed the others closely and I could already hear Esbern gasping in awe.  
When I joined the others I found myself standing in a dimly lit chamber with a ceiling that reached so high it was lost in the shadows. Right in front of me was a large treasure chest displayed in the middle of the floor. But the real attraction was the far wall that has an immense face carved into it. I quickly checked the chest for anything valuable while the others proceeded to the face. I took anything interesting, which was not much really except a ruby and a fancy circlet, then went for a closer look at the wall.

"Fascinating," said Esbern.

"Kind of creepy if you ask me," Lydia added.

I looked from the wall to Lydia then back, "You're right, it does kind of look like you."

"Ha. I'm sure its backside resembles a certain asinine Dragonborn."

"Some respect please?" Delphine warned, "This place may hold the secrets we need to save this world."

"So then what do we do now?" I asked, "Do we talk to it or wait for it to see us, or what? Maybe it's sleeping. It does look pretty stoned."

"Seriously?" Lydia said.

Esbern touched the face. "I think it is just a doorway, built to intimidate the superstitious or weak of mind."

Lydia put a hand on my shoulder, "Don't be scared. We're here with you."

Esbern ignored her and stepped into a circle on the floor in front of the face. "I believe this circle is what's known as a blood seal, though I've never actually seen one. My guess is to open that door, the blood of a Dragonborn must touch the seal."

Lydia whipped a dagger out, "Oh, I've been waiting for this. Now stand still and it'll all be over soon."

"I think he means a little blood," I said, backing away from the grinning housecarl. "Right, Esbern?"

"A few drops should do it, but who's to say?"

"Since it's my blood, I'm to say, now back off there Stabitha Quickknife. I'll do it myself."

I knelt over the middle of the circle and removed my gauntlets. I drew my steel dagger and made a clean slice across the side of my hand. I wiped the dagger off on my armor and gave my hand a squeeze. The blood flowed more than I would have thought but I kept it up. I noticed Lydia was still standing with her own dagger out. Was it something I had said? Nah, couldn't have been. I always watch my tongue.

Suddenly the circle started to glow and swirl beneath my feet. I stepped away and used my healing magic to fix my hand.

"Look," Delphine said, drawing her sword, "It's coming to life."

I reached for my own sword but then I noticed the face was not moving, only the wall it was attached to. It raised up a little then swung inside, allowing us entry. Delphine put her sword away, looking chagrinned, "Sorry. Guess I'm a bit anxious."

"Better cautious than cut down," I said, "Keep your sword ready. Who knows what's been waiting in here all these years."

Beyond the face wall was a staircase leading up to a door. At least it was going up instead of down. I took the lead.

More stairs lead to an expansive dining hall. It seemed the only thing waiting for us was a thick layer of dust. It was past midnight so the hall was dark save for some starlight seemingly amplified coming through the openings in the ceiling. Along one entire wall was a stone mural depicting warriors, dragons, and even what looks like the Greybeards.

"Incredible," Esbern said, his words barely audible. He cleared his throat. "This is something I've waited my whole life to see and study. Give me some time, Dragonborn. I will do my best to interpret it and find for you the answers you seek."

"Fine," I said, "Lydia and I will have a look around to make sure nothing surprises us."

In the first room on the left I find a small armory of weapons and armor. In a chest I found a full suit of armor unlike any I had ever seen. This must have been what the Blades wore during their heaviest years of fighting. They had some decent style, at least.

"Lydia, help me put this on," I said as I began to shed my old steel armor.  
She looked it over. "You actually like this? Isn't it a bit gaudy?"

"Gaudy? It's the best armor I've seen since I've been in Tamriel. It's black with overlapping pieces that make it look like scales. It's definitely in better condition than what I've got. I might just make this the trademark armor of my reign when I take over."

"Will I have to wear it?"

"Of course not."

"Then by all means, do what you what."

"I'm glad to hear you say that. You'll be my full time Housecarl by then. I'll have a nice, form-fitting maid's type outfit for you. Not too revealing, perhaps, but not covered up either. I'll have some priestess of Dibella work on it for me."

"As you wish, my Thane. Will I be doing your cooking, too, by any chance?"

"Eh, not with that attitude. In fact you're banned from the kitchens altogether. Now help me with this codpiece, eh, on second thought, I've got it."

Outfitted in my new armor, we finished the sweep of the hideout and found no one and nothing about. I did find some barrels with apples in them that were still good. Will the wonders never cease?

We joined the others back at the Wall and Delphine noticed the armor right away.

"Now you're looking respectable," she said.

"Looks can be deceiving," Lydia quipped.

"I can see why the Blades lasted so long," I said, "This armor is exceptional, and fits perfect. I can't wait to try it out in a fight. So, Esbern, what did you find out?"

"This wall is a history of the Blades and how they dealt with Alduin's rise and fall. This part in the middle though is the most surprising. It appears that the Greybeards had a vital hand in the Blades victory. It looks like they used a shout to set him on fire or something like that to bring him down."

"Is that possible?" Delphine asked me, "You've been accepted into their club. Do they know of a shout that will bring down a dragon?"

"They didn't go into much detail about all they do. I was not much interested in hanging around on a mountaintop listening to them shout either. You sound kind of bitter, Delphine. Did they turn you away because you're a woman, despite, you know, they way you lean?"

"Lean? Do you ever make sense? I resent the Greybeards because of how they keep their power to themselves even while the rest of Tamriel burns. I don't trust them and for some reason they fear me and the influence of the Blades."

"My guess is they know something," Esbern said, "You will have to go to them and demand they tell you the truth about their abilities in fighting dragons. Since they have accepted you, you are the only one who can do this. Delphine and I will wait here for your return and see if we can find out more ourselves."

I could not help but sigh. "I thought I was done walking for a little while. You didn't happen to have seen a carriage and some horses around, did you Esbern?"

There was no way I was going anywhere tonight. I headed for the nearest bed and left Delphine and Esbern to study the Wall.


	28. Day Twenty-seven & eight

Day Twenty-seven

Despite the prospect of having to walk all the way back to High Rothgar, I was in a good mood as soon as I saw my new armor waiting for me the next morning. Even Lydia's growling stomach could not distract me from admiring the Blades fashion taste once again. I put my old armor in a chest in the room just in case I found something wrong with this one. I was sure it would be there when I came back.

The four of us had a large breakfast at the table in the dining hall. Esbern and Delphine could not stop talking about the Wall and the events it may be depicting. As soon as they finished eating they were right back looking at the Wall. They did not even seem to remember Lydia and I were still there, much less that we were leaving. If their plans did not parallel mine, I probably would have just left them there to figure it out for themselves. I saw the typical apathy and rudeness had no culture lines in Skyrim.

Lydia showed me an outdoor courtyard I had missed yesterday and I suggested the quickest way out might be to just scale down the side of the mountain. She had no objection so we take our time and before long were back on the ground. We struck East, following no particular road yet. The land was mostly hills and prairie so the going was at least easy and anything dangerous was seen well in advance. The only things we encountered, however were wolves and bandits, nothing that really posed a test for my new armor. I was almost tempted to start a fight with Lydia just to see how it would hold up, but I did not want her to get hurt or anything. Her battleaxe and seeming obliviousness to my pain may have had a little to do with it, too.

Halfway to Whiterun I finally got a real test. We were following a stream, swatting mudcrabs as we went, when suddenly another blood dragon flew from out of nowhere and rained fire down on us. This one was particularly irate, roaring and wheeling about for another attack. Perhaps he recognized the Blades armor and was harboring a grudge of some kind. I tried to dodge his breath but he still caught me. The armor held back the flames a little better than my old steel one, but it still got toasty quickly inside my metal shell.

We started shooting arrows at him but he proved elusive. He had little problem hitting us though. His scalding stream of fire did not have to be as accurate as our arrows so he had the advantage there. I noticed something moving in the distance as I followed his flight. Mammoths! Where there were mammoths, there were usually giants.

"Lydia," I yelled at her, "Let's go towards those mammoths and see if we can find a giant to help with this thing. Maybe he at least can take some of the heat off us."

"Was that supposed to be funny? 'Take the heat off'."

"Oh, I guess it was funny, wasn't it?"

"No, I just asked if it was supposed to be."

I ignored her and took off at a run towards the huge animals. Sure enough, as I neared the mammoths, a giant showed up waving a club around over his head. His attention at first seemed to be on us but as soon as the blood dragon flew over our heads, the giant took off after it instead. The dragon torched the mammoths on a fly-by, earning the anger of the giant.

We slowed down to catch our breaths. The dragon was fixated on battling the giant and his mammoths to the point of completely forgetting about us. I had seen what a giant could do to a dragon so that was fine with me. We switched to our bows and walked towards the battle. Once we were within range, Lydia and I added our arrows to the dragon's hide to speed his demise. The dragon might have won if he had not chosen to land to fight the giant. The battle was over quickly once the giant's club was brought to bear against the beast. Getting giants to help with these dragons was a pretty good idea. The savings on arrows alone would make it worth it. We stayed just long enough for me to absorb the new soul.

The remainder of the trip held no more surprises. It was late when we arrived in Whiterun so the only place to sell anything was at the Drunken Huntsman. I sold off the weapons and armor we had collected then went to Breezehome for a well-deserved rest.

Day Twenty-eight

In the morning I was forced to use my healing magic on my legs and back from all the walking we did. I passed by Lydia's room on the way downstairs. She was sitting on her bed in her smallclothes, which were smaller than usual, I thought approvingly, and rubbing her legs and feet.

"Why not use your healing magic?" I asked, not wondering if she minded I watched her. "You said everyone has some ability."

"I told you, I'm not very good at it. I'll be fine in a few minutes."

"I could stop in at Arcadia's and see if she has some scented oils that I could rub in for you. I've been told my hands are like magic and that was before I knew they actually were."

She paused and I thought I may have finally gotten to her. "I've seen where your hands have been lately. I'd just as soon get a massage from a hagraven.  
But thanks, anyway. Your generosity knows no bounds, I'm sure."

"Just thought I'd offer," I said, leaning against the doorjamb.

She looked up at me. "This is all you're going to see. Anything else and I'd have to look into getting a stronger helmet to protect my damaged brain."

"Fine, your loss. I'll be at Adrienne's working on my armor."

I dressed in my finest city clothes and popped over to the blacksmith to ask if I could use her worktable.

"For that armor?" Adrienne asked, "Where did you get it, from an antique dealer? An old antique dealer?"

"I'll have you know this is genuine Blades armor. It is what they wore when they fought dragons and I think it is impressive."

"I'm impressed it hasn't fallen apart. Help yourself, but don't get your hopes up. If you want some real armor in the future, let me know. I may have some steel plate coming in soon."

I waved her away and put the armor on the table. Before I started, however, I donned a pair of gauntlets that I had found that gave me a much better feel for the metal, as well as a necklace that I found near them. I could not explain how, but they seemed to be a matching pair and worked even better when together. I also drank a draught that I found labeled 'for Blacksmiths only'. I quickly set to work with some steel ingots I had and before long I had the black armor looking much better, superior even, to what it was. Even Adrienne was impressed with my work, though she doesn't say so. I could tell from the hard glint in her eye, though that could also be from the sparks flying off her grindstone. I packed up my armor and returned to Breezehome.

Lydia was dressed and actually had breakfast waiting when I returned. She took a slight umbrage at my shocked expression.

"I got tired of waiting for you," she said, "Don't get used to it."

I placed my armor on the table by the door and tore off a chuck of the cooked beef from the spit. I blew on it to cool it then chewed, and chewed, and chewed. "This could take a while to get used to."

Lydia was creative in her responses, suggesting other ways the beef might enter my body other than by eating. I took my plate and ate outside until she cooled off.

I decided to use the pass through the mountains to get back to Iverstead. I knew I was a Nord but I was getting downright fed up with walking through all these mountains. I thought maybe the Fates were toying with me on a metaphorical level. When this was over, my palace would be in a lowland with some hot springs, and even hotter women.

As usual, Iverstead was quiet, except for the woodcutter, Temba. She was cursing and spitting venom over the abundance of bears around Iverstead. She even offered a reward for bringing in ten bear pelts. I made a joking suggestion about what the reward could be and I found out why her name was Temba Widearm. She somehow got me in a headlock and her freakish arms threatened to cut off my air. Lydia was distracted by a bird in a tree, or something, because my gasps for help went unnoticed. She finally released me and I let her get back to work. By the time I could breathe again, my temper had cooled and I decided to forgive her indiscretion, for now. Lydia helped me up, asking what happened and if I was all right. I shot her a nasty look and simply rubbed my throat.

We crossed the bridge towards the seven thousand step and Lydia tapped me on the shoulder. "Look, a cave. And a bear. Might be more inside, too."

I was in no rush to help Temba's situation but I knew how fierce the bears here were and it would be a good test of my reworked armor. It turned out this one must have been sleepy because it did not put up much of a fight. Or it may have been too full, having gorged itself on two hunters I found lying dead at the cave entrance. Either way, I finished it off by shouting it into the river below. Screw Temba and her reward. I hope the bear survived and came back even angrier. By then I would be in High Rothgar.

In the cave was another bear and between the two of us and one of Lydia's summoned wolves, it died quickly enough but not before it gave my armor a few claw scratches. I think it actually made it look better. The cave offered up a few nice items including a fascinating book titled, 'Heavy Armor Smithing'. I stashed that away for my library. There was also a big golden dwarven helmet. I showed it to Lydia.

"Now this is gaudy."

"Actually, I kind of like it," she said, turning it over in her hands. "It's too heavy though."

"Yeah, you're not walking behind me wearing that thing. Leave it and we'll pick it up on the way back, if we have the room."

I found an amethyst in a vein of corundum ore in the cave but beyond that, everything else is trash. We left and started up the steps.

I could definitely say the Blades armor did nothing to keep the cold out. By the time we got back to High Hrothgar I was freezing my draugrs off. The temple was blissfully warm and quiet, which seemed odd for people known for shouting. I sat next to a roaring brazier for a time until I could feel my toes again then I went to look for Arngeir. I found him meditating in the Western wing.

"So, you have returned, Dragonborn," he said, "Here to seek out the wisdom of the ancients?"

"In a way," I said, "I need to know if there's a shout that can kill a dragon."

The Greybeard's countenance darkened. "I sense the Blades at work here. And I see you are wearing their old armor. Have they put you up to this?"

"I've seen the mural called Alduin's Wall. It depicts the Greybeards using a shout against Alduin to bring him down. I need to know what it is."

"Will you be a tool for the Blades, to be used for their own purposes?"

"I'm no tool, Arngeir, I am Dragonborn. The Blades want to defeat Alduin to save the world? Don't you?"

Arngeir scoffed, "The shout was tried on Alduin before. He returned. They merely seek to postpone the inevitable. If the world will end, let it."

"That's easy for you to say. What do you have to lose? A building and a beard? I demand to know the shout."

"No, not until you return to the path of wisdom. The Blades have led you astray and I will not be a part of it."

I folded my arms, refusing to move. "So they were right. You do fear them."

Arngeir was about to object when thunder crashed and the building rumbled. A voice speaking in the dragon tongue could be heard, though I could not understand most of it. Arngeir's attitude soothed and his posturing turned to acceptance.

"I apologize, Dragonborn," Arngeir said, "Master Einarth has reminded me of my duty and it is not for me to decide what path you choose. But as far as the shout you wish to know, I can not teach it. Its knowledge has been lost to us. It is called Dragonrend."

I froze my talisman off to get back up there and they could not help? "So how do I find it?"

"Only Paarthurnax would have that knowledge now. He is our Master and oversees all we do and know. He can teach you, if he so chooses."

"Where is he?"

"He is on the peak of the mountain called the Throat of the World. I will teach you a shout that will allow you to reach him, but the way is perilous and your arrival is far from guaranteed."

"Another test, then?" I said, not relishing another climb even further up the mountain.

Arngeir shrugged, "It's what we do. Follow me."

I brought Lydia with me to the courtyard where I had learned Whirlwind but this time we went the other way towards an archway with a storm swirling on the other side. The other Greybeards joined us as Arngeir taught me the three words to Clear Skies.

"This will be our last gift to you Dragonborn. Use it wisely to clear the way up the path to Paarthurnax. If you meet him, remember who you are. Rest assured, he knows what you are."

I thanked them and went to the arch. "Lok Vah Koor!"

The shouts ripped the air and after a moment not a trace of a storm was evident.

"Impressive," Lydia said. "I knew you were good for something."

"I'm good for a lot of things, but you had your chance earlier today, housecarl. Find someone else to rub you now."

Lydia stepped up and whispered in my ear. Chills ran through me, and not from the cold.

"Stop toying with me, woman. You're just trying to get the breasts of me...the best of me."

Lydia smiled. She was back in her playful adventuring mood.

"Let's just go," I said.

The path up to Paarthurnax is ill defined at best, which would not be bad except one wrong step and you were turned into red crag paint. Arngeir had warned of danger so we were ready when the ice wraiths appeared. They did not pose as much of a problem now, especially with Lydia wielding a staff of flames. We got to a pair of tall stones that resembled an arch and I felt like this could be the spot. One more shout and the area opened up to reveal another dragon wall. I started towards it until suddenly a shadow appeared at my feet. As it grew, I looked up to see a huge dragon descend upon us. I got out my bow but instead of attacking, it started to talk.

"Welcome, Dovakhin," the dragon said, "I am Paarthurnax. What brings you to my home?"

"You're a dragon?" I asked.

"Your dragon blood has heightened your perceptions. I had thought to fool you."

Lydia laughed and put away her bow.

"Why not keep your mouth busy with an apple or something," I told her then turned back to the dragon. "Sorry, I thought you were going to be another greybeard."

"I tried to grow a beard but it caught fire every time coughed. Now, fellow Dov, why have you come?"

"I need a way to stop Alduin from destroying anymore of Tamriel. I need to learn the words of power for Dragonrend."

Paarthurnax's voice rumbled and I realized he was chuckling. "My boy, Dragonrend was meant to injure and incapacitate a dragon and you want me to speak it? I see you carry a sword. Would you train someone to use it by stabbing yourself? I thought not. But first before we go any further, there are formalities that must be observed for Dov's first meeting."

Paarthurnax turned to the wall and unleashed a blast of fire at it. "The word calls you. Learn it, Dov. A gift from me so we may speak in our blood tongue."

I approached the wall and read the glowing symbols, learning a word for 'Fire Breath'. Paarthurnax granted me his understanding of it then told me to show him my prowess with our words. I was suspicious but I used my new shout and bathed his face in fire.

"Yes!" he said with glee, "It has been a long time since I have spoken to a Dov."

"I'm glad you are enjoying our little chat," I said, "But as you alluded to, you know of what I seek, but you can not teach it to me. How may I learn it?"

"You seek to kill Alduin? He has always been troublesome. You can learn it from the creators of the shout. If you can obtain an Elder Scroll, you may return here and use it to view the past, back when Alduin was last sent reeling through time."

"By Elder Scroll I'm assuming you mean something specific, not just an old piece of paper. Where can I find it?"

"That, I do not know. I have not left my home here in some time."

"I may know some people that could help. If they can, I'll return. Are you sure you can help?"

"I have no reason to lie, Dov. Alduin has gone too far and threatens more than those he would rule. He threatens all that exists in this plane. I have grown comfortable here. I will help."

I left the dragon's roost and collected Lydia by the stones.

"So what did he say?" she asked. "I didn't hear much shouting going on."

"We share the same dragon blood. He's the strong silent type, like me."

"Is he as modest too."

"No, I far surpass him in modesty. But he did give me a clue. I must speak with Arngeir again."

Back at High Hrothgar, Arngeir was still standing outside in the courtyard. He was somehow surprised I made it back. What part of Man of Destiny does he not grasp? I told him exactly what Paarthurnax said.

"The Greybeards do not meddle in such blasphemy as the Elder Scrolls. They were not meant for men to use."

"Look, if you don't know where one is, just say so," I told him. "I'll just go ask the Blades."

"The Blades? Uh...wait...now that I think on it, I may know where you can look. No need to bother with them. The College of Winterhold may have someone who knows the location of such an artifact."

"The Mages' College? I'd rather shove a chaurus up my..."

"Don't tell me you still fear mages?" Lydia said.

"I never feared wizards, housecarl," I said, "I never trusted them and you know why. I still don't."

"Even though you now use magic yourself?"

"I only use mine out of necessity."

"Necessity dictates you eliminate Alduin. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can disband the college and rein in the use of magic in Skyrim."

"I never thought of it like that. Fine, I'll try the college. Tomorrow, though, it's already too late. We'll sleep here tonight and start fresh in the morning. Hey, Arngeir, you and your boys are going to have to keep your rowdiness down."

"We'll do our best, Dragonborn."

"It was a joke, Arnie. You guys get any quieter and we'll start hearing the snow fall on the ground."

"My name is Arngeir."

"Whatever," I nudged Lydia. "You ready? Say good night, Lydia."

She shrugged, "Good night, Lydia."

"Was that supposed to be a joke?" I asked.

Arngeir broke out laughing, "I get it! 'Good night, Lydia'. Excellent!"

Lydia smirked.

"You're all against me," I said and headed off to find a bed.


	29. Day Twenty-nine

Day Twenty-nine

The next morning after a bland Greybeards' breakfast of oatmeal and applemush, Lydia and I tramped back down the snowy steps to Iverstead. I happened to pass by Klimmek and suggested he throw in some spices with the Greybeards next supplies. He said he tried once but it gave them all the winds. You could smell it for miles coming from all the way up there. I told him that was much more information than I needed. Before he left, however, I asked him if he knew how far Winterhold was.

"If you liked the climb up those steps, you're going to love the trek to the College. Nothing but snow and mountains and bears."

"Oh, my," Lydia said.

"Oh, my, is right," I agreed. My mood was a little raw. Lydia had once again declined a free massage. My frustration was getting a bit... pent up. "Is there a carriage here anywhere, Klimmek?"

"Not here, my friend. The closest would be in Riften. It's not nearby but it is a warmer walk."

"That's good enough for me."

I once again headed towards the City of Thieves. I did not even mind fighting off the occasional wolf or bear. It was warmer, I had got my sweet new armor, and I felt I was closing in on ridding Skyrim of Alduin. That would leave the door open for me to take over then plan my family reunion with my dear sister. I was in a good mood. That is, until I met her.

We were near Riften, skirting around a fort by going through the woods when suddenly an arrow embedded itself in a tree mere inches from my face. I yelled out to Lydia then dove for cove. My sword found its way into my hands by instinct now. Lydia had her bow ready and was peeking around a tree for cover.

"Sorry, sorry," a female voice called out. "My mistake, travelers."

I eased up when I saw it was just a woman out hunting, apparently, followed closely by a Khajiit. She was wearing some odd animal hide armor, probably wolf. It did not look at strong as mine but it did blend into the environment better. Even as I watched the Redguard approach, I could barely hear her or the Khajiit walking through the sticks and leaves of the forest. They put their weapons away.

"I apologize for the arrow, friend," she said, "For a moment I mistook you for a black bear."

Lydia approached, "That's not surprising, though he's usually mistaken for a smaller, squealing animal. It's just the smell. You get used to it. My name is Lydia."

"I am Shavina. This is my companion, Kharjo." She looked at me. "And you are?"

"You are in the presence of Ralos Ravenclaw, Thane of Whiterun, and future ruler of Skyrim. It is a good thing your aim was off, Sweetie, or you could have injured me. Perhaps you should try a smaller bow, more suited to a woman."

Did the Khajiit actually growl at me?

"My aim was not off. I moved it at the last second when I realized my mistake. And it wouldn't have injured you, it would have killed you. How it missed a head that big is truly a miracle. Pardon me, Lydia, but that bow in your pack. It looks familiar. May I see it?"

Lydia reached back and handed her the weapon. "We found it recently on our last trip here. It was hidden down in the Ratway."

Shavina nodded, "Just as I thought it would be. My neighbor, Dravin, had his bow stolen recently. I will return it to him for you if you want."

I reached for the bow but the Khajiit's hand locked onto my wrist just before.

"Watch your hands, human," he said, "If you mean to keep them."

"I was reaching for the bow. No need to cough up a hairball. We found it, so we'll return it, if you don't mind."

Kharjo growled again then released me and Shavina gave the bow back.

"You don't trust many people, do you, Ralos of Whiterun?" asked the Redguard.  
"You'll fit right in at Riften. Just stay out of trouble and if you are here for skooma, be warned that the supply is about to dry up."

"He's through with skooma," Lydia said, "with my help."

Shavina looked impressed at my housecarl. "I always suspected that behind every great person is an equally great companion." She cast a glance back at the Khajiit, who smiled in return.

"So where is your man, Shavina?" I asked, moving closer to her. "I notice you're wearing a necklace of Mara. Perhaps you just haven't met the right man... until now." I reached out to touch the necklace which conveniently rested on her ample chest. "Do you mind?"

A moment later I was lying on the forest floor with my face buried in a pile of dry leaves and dirt. My arm was twisted in some unnatural position behind my back. I was wondering, where the Nines was Lydia?

"I do mind," Shavina hissed by my ear. "I mind a great deal, in fact. And if you think this hurts, I'm saving you the pain of dealing with my friend. On second thought, I don't think Riften is the place for you, Ralos."

I tried to speak but only dirt and leaves came out.

Lydia spoke up, "Actually we're not staying...we're just getting a carriage...to take to Winterhold."

Why was her voice breaking up? Was she laughing?

Shavina the Rude, as I had taken to thinking of her, finally let me up and she actually handed me a bottle of ale to wash my mouth out with as I coughed and spit out the forest floor.

"Be sure you do," she said, "I would hate to mistake you for a big smelly bear again. Nice meeting you, Lydia."

"You, too, Shavina. Good-bye Kharjo. I love your fur."

"Good-bye, Lydia," the Khajiit said, "May your travels find warm sands."

The two left as quietly as they had approached. I finished the warm ale and tossed the bottle into the trees.

"Love your fur," I said to Lydia mockingly. I left her to continue to Riften.

"You're not mad are you?" Lydia said, "Wait, you've still got leaves on your back."

As it turned out, the driver of the carriage was nowhere to be found. When we arrived, a caravan was just leaving. It had dropped off a good supply of Alto wine and Honningbrew Mead. I was still in a foul mood so I ditched Lydia somewhere and started drinking with the first person I ran into. I had not known it was the carriage driver until we were both too inebriated to even hitch up the horses. Lydia must have found me at some point that night and put me to bed. It was the least she could do.


	30. Days Thirty and Thirty-one

Day Thirty

Turdas arrived too early and too brightly for me and the driver as our heads and stomachs were not up for the trip. The bad part about the trip was the constant reminders of the night before that the two of us left in puddles alongside the bumpy road. That and Lydia eating all those damn stinky cheese sandwiches and smiling. The good part was that the driver did not feel like talking and I was able to sleep a good part of the way. By the time we reached Winterhold, it was nighttime and I was feeling more like myself.

We had dinner at the inn. Lydia kept asking me about Shavina and Kharjo and if I thought they should be allowed to be married. She said there was obviously something between them. I made some clever remark about how the Thalmor should not have a monopoly on torture, everyone should be allowed to get married. From her cold stare I did not think she got my joke and we finished our meal in silence.

Afterwards, it had grown dark but not too late so we headed towards the College. We passed by a couple arguing. It turned out they were siblings. Ranmir stalked away to get drunk, leaving his sister, Birna to tend the shop. He did not get too far before a dragon suddenly roared overhead and struck down at the people on the road, including Lydia and myself, with a column of icy breath. Guards came out from everywhere with their bows to join us. I noticed a few people running from the College with their hands glowing. They must be mages but I was surprised they were actually running towards the fight.

The dragon circled and landed on top of the Jarl's longhouse. Everyone started shooting their bows except for Ranmir who only had a dagger in his hand.  
"Birna," he yelled back, "Get inside the shop! It is too dangerous out here!"

Ranmir was still blue and shivering from the first attack. He seemed to be trying to distract the dragon from his sister's location by running but he did it too well. The dragon aimed another blast towards the running man then flew off to circle again. When the frost cleared I saw Ranmir lying still, partially frozen to a rock in the road.

"Ranmir!" cried his sister. Someone from the College grabbed her and pulled her into her shop just as the blood dragon passed again. Lydia took shelter beneath the shop's walkway then loosed arrows in its wake.

It took some time, possibly the dark made it difficult for the guards to aim, but between the arrows and the fireballs from the mages, the dragon was finally forced to land. Several of us rushed in and hacked it into submission. Its soul tasted bitter, leaving a foul tang behind. It must have been one nasty bitch of a dragon.

After the attack and the death of the brave citizen, I did not feel up to meeting any mages tonight, despite their help with the dragon. Ranmir looked like he could have been a good drinking buddy. I checked into the Frozen Hearth for the night. Everyone inside was stunned by the man's death. He must have been not just a regular, but well liked. Some of the guards had seen me absorb the dragon's soul and I overheard one remark loudly how all this talk of a Dragonborn and still the dragons were free to kill wherever. I got another bad taste in my mouth. I bought a round of drinks for everyone then went to bed.

Day Thirty-one

The next morning after a breakfast of pheasant and grilled leeks we headed for the College. I noticed the skeleton of the dragon remained though it has been picked over by trophy seekers. Ranmir's body was long gone and residents were busy repairing the roof of the Jarl's longhouse. There was no sign of Birna but a black ribbon was tied on a post outside the shop. I did not know why his death was bothering me so. Perhaps because it was a dragon that had killed him or maybe because I actually knew his name, unlike the nameless, faceless guards I had seen killed like at the watchtower. I tried to put it out of my head. I needed all my attention to keep an eye on a whole building full of mages.

I went up the ramp towards the College but I was stopped at the top by an Altmer mage in a blue robe that radiated an aura of Destruction.

"Cross the bridge at your own peril," she said haughtily. "The gates will not open for the likes of you."

I felt my rage already rise to the top but I used my superior willpower to calm myself. "Didn't I see you help fight that dragon last night?"

"I did. My name is Faralda. It is the third dragon to attack this area, though this one was particularly nasty. We are researching into why they have returned but so far, little is known."

"May I enter the college? I may be able to shed some light on that."

"Perhaps. What is it you expect to find within?"

"I have vital information about these dragons and I'm hoping someone within may be able to help me sort it out."

Faralda scoffed. "Of course we can help. But not just anyone is allowed inside. Those wishing to enter must show some degree of skill with magic. A small test, if you will."

"I think it's obvious I have what you need," I said, using my most charming, under-garment shedding smile.

She sneered as if catching a bad smell. "You have an odd perception of the obvious because I don't think anything of the sort."

I straightened to my full height, "What about the Dragonborn?"

"Do you truly have the voice?" she asked, suddenly leery. "Show it to me, and you may enter."

"Show it, eh, well I... oh, you mean a shout. Fine. Ready?" I unleash my newest word of power and set her hair on fire.

She bounced off the wall and patted her head until the flames died. I've noticed some women react strangely to men of power. Her attitude suddenly warmed, no pun intended. "It is true. I think there is much we can learn from each other. You may enter."

I brushed up close to her, "I may hold you to that."

Faralda smiled, not unpleasantly, "I trust your concubine here will not overly mind."

"Concubine!" Lydia shouted, "I'll have you know I'm his housecarl as Thane of Whiterun, you high-eared, snobby bitch!"

Faralda's hands suddenly flamed to life, "Watch your mouth, lowbrow Nord, before I find out if the horkers below enjoy eating roasted slut."

"Now, now, ladies," I interjected, "There's plenty of Thane to go around. You won't even have to take turns. But that will have to wait until later, this is no time for a squabble. Misunderstandings happen all the time. That's why we are at a College. To learn things, about life and about each other."

Lydia settled a bit, looking at me strangely, "What are you saying?"

"Did that work?" I asked. "Did I sound wordly? I'm practicing. I'm sure there's some brainy wenches inside that would love experiencing a practiced tongue."

"What a pig," Faralda said. "You have my apology, housecarl, and my sympathy."

"Thank you, Faralda. At least you found out now," she turned to me. "Can we go now?"

"Sure, now that you've ruined it." I lead the way towards the school.

"Seek out Mirabelle," Faralda called out, "Let her deal with you."

I followed the ramp up to the College. At one point, part of the ramp had nearly crumbled away leaving only a narrow walking lane to negotiate. You would think this would be an easy fix for these all-powerful wizards. I lower my expectations even more.  
I found what must be the entrance to the College. A huge statue of a mage was fixed in the center of the walkway. I grabbed the arm of the first person I saw. She had a crazed look in her eye and a voice to match.

"You believe Restoration is a valid form of magic, don't you?" she asked.

"Mirabelle?" I asked.

"Don't you?"

"Yes, okay, it's valid. Do you know where Mirabelle is?"

The mage pointed to a woman near the main doors. She was standing next to a Thalmor wizard. What the Nines is a Thalmor doing here? Had they followed me here as well?

The crazed mage continued, "As I was saying... What the..."

Lydia grabbed the mage by her collar and pushed her on her way. "Is that a Thalmor over there?" she asked me.

"It sure is," I said. "We'll be cautious. They may still be looking for me, but word may not have reached him here."

"Unless he's here looking for you."

I loosened my sword but left it sheathed. "They bleed like everyone else. Let's go."

I eased closer to Mirabelle. They were just finishing up their conversation but it appeared it has nothing to do with me or the Dragonborn. The Thalmor was only getting on her nerves and she reminded him he was an observer, nothing more. He stomped away like a petulant child and I got the woman's attention.

"New recruits, huh?" she said. "Well, we could always use new students. If you follow me, I'll take you on a tour of the College..."

"Actually, I'm here looking for information," I said to her before she could walk off. "I am the Dragonborn and I need help locating an artifact. It has to do with all these dragons and how I can help stop these attacks."

"Dragonborn? I suppose Faralda knows what she's doing to have let you in." Mirabelle looked skeptical, but continued, looking at Lydia. "And who is this?"

"This is Lydia, my conc..." I heard a dagger exposed to the air. "Eh, my companion, traveling companion, that is, and housecarl. A Dragonborn can't rightly be expected to do everything for himself, can he?"

"I suppose not," Mirabelle said, "Normally I would take you to Savros Aren, our Arch-mage, but he is busy right now with an experiment of some delicacy. Speak with our librarian, Urag, in the Arcaneum. Perhaps he can help you in the meantime. It is through this door and to the right."

I thanked her and we found the Arcaneum with no trouble. The hard part was finding the librarian. The only one there was an Orc sitting by the desk pretending to read. How cute, sort of. Perhaps he would know where I could find Urag.

I stepped up to the Orc. "Excuse me, Orc. Do you know where I can find the librarian? You know, the one in charge of all these books, named Urag?"

"I am Urag, Nord, and this is my Arcaneum," he said gruffly. "You could say this is my own little world here. Disturb anything here and I'll have torn apart by angry atronochs."

What was his problem? I wondered. Someone must have offended him. Great, now I have to deal with him. "No need to worry about that, my friendly Orc. I was told to come and ask you about anything you might have on Elder Scrolls."

"Elder Scrolls? Did Ancano send you? He's been asking for the oddest things. Psijic Order. Magnus. Now Elder Scrolls? Tell him I don't have time to look for those, if I even had any."

Lydia took a seat nearby, sensing this was going nowhere. I felt the same, so I changed tactics.

"Really? I don't know who this Ancano is, but he sounds like an ass."

"Most Thalmor are," he agreed.

Ah. "Well, friend, I was told that your Arcaneum was exceptional. That is why I made a special trip here. But if you can not help the Dragonborn, I guess I will have to look elsewhere. Come along, Lydia."

Urag stood up quickly. "The Dragonborn? You? That changes things a bit, doesn't it? Wait here, I'll get what I have for you."

"That was clever, Ralos," Lydia said, "Who showed you how to do that?"

"What do you mean? I thought of it."

"It was Mirabelle, wasn't it?"

"No, I did it."

"Fine, don't tell me. Here he comes."

"Here's what I have, but don't get your hopes up. Some of the authors were a little... unstable."

I cautiously started reading some of the texts. There was only so much I wanted to know. One in particular stood out so I asked Urag about it.

"That? It was written by a scholar named Septimus Signus. He's the expert on the Elder Scrolls."

"Is he here?"

"He's a crazy one, to be sure. He headed North one day in search of some Dwemer artifact. Haven't seen him since. Some say he's alive. I wouldn't put it past him. He's crazed but too smart to just freeze to death."

"Do you know where he went?" I asked. "I need to speak with him."

"I'll mark on your map the last place he was rumored to be, but don't hold me to it."

I thanked him and left before he had a chance to talk more. He sure was chatty, for an Orc.

As soon as I left the Arcaneum I ran into a Khajiit garbed in one of their novice robes. He looked at my armor and sword and hesitated before talking.

"My name is J'zargo," he said, as if that should mean something, "You are new, yes? Have you mastered the Expert level destruction spells yet?"

"You mean like this?" I turned aside and shouted, "FUS RO DAH!"

The Khajiit's eyes were big circles inside his hood. "That, that is no spell I am familiar with."

"Really? Funny, that's the first one I ever learned. Come along, Lydia."

I left, but not before I heard the Khajiit trying to imitate the words of power. Silly kitty.

I purposefully avoided any other mages. I sensed something brewing in the cold halls and I did not want to get ensnared in its web. These mages would use anyone they could to further their ambitions. I had enough to do as it was. I had a new lead and a lot of ground to cover if I was to find a small mark on an entire coastline. At the end of the ramp, I passed Faralda and told her I had to leave.

"When will you return to us, Dragonborn? There were some things I was looking forward to instructing you in."

"I don't see myself returning any time soon. Magic isn't something I want to know more of."

"Who said anything about magic?" She smiled.

"I swear it's like a sickness," Lydia muttered as she turned herself North.

"I may have to pass this way on my way back, Altmer," I said, "Keep a warm place ready for me."

I left yet another desperate, yearning heart in order to fulfill my destiny.

Urag's directions were bad enough, but having to swim through all that freezing water was torture. I tried to stay on top of the ice as much as possible but there was no way that totally avoided the water. At least all of the bigger killer fish were dormant right now. I did not even encounter a slaughterfish in the icy water. Sometimes, however, just getting out of the water without going under could be a trial. Some of those undertow currents would take you half a league under the ice before letting up.

I thought I was finally getting close when I saw in the distance a narrow boat on top of the ice. As I approached I did not see anyone nor did I see a fire.

"Hey look," Lydia said, "A cave. Wonder what's inside?"

"Not what, but who. It's probably Septimus but with all the bandits in Skyrim lately, you never know."

I opened the wooden, makeshift door of the cave and found a ladder waiting. I followed a short tunnel to a single open area dominated by a circular door obviously of Dwemer design with it's orangish metal and colored crystals. There was also a table and a bookshelf with a scattering of books. A mage approached as if he had been expecting us.

"When the top level was built," he said in a high-pitched whiney voice, "it was the maximal apex."

"Okay," I said cautiously. You never know what to expect when you're dealing with crazy. "Are you Septimus Signus?"

"There is a man called Septimus and he is here, cosmoslogically speaking I am also there. It is simple."

"What is that thing?" asked Lydia, looking at the door.

Septimus held his hands out to it, "This is a Dwemer lockbox. Ho, ho! It holds the secrets of a race so advanced even its simplest mind would make the clever Septimus seem like an infant playing in the mud."

"While playing in this mud," I asked, "Did you happen to have come across an Elder Scroll?"

"Elder Scroll, you say? If I may? I've seen enough of their fabric, warp air and time, it's sick. To have is to hold and as you see, it is not on me. But it is here, not near, on this plane, today."

"You need to lay off those mushrooms, Septimus Hallucinus. Can you help me get the scroll?"

"Shrooms are good for the sight, see things that aren't there I might. One block lifts the other, my friend, so both will benefit in the end."

"Shor's bones," I swore, "What do you want?"

"The key to this lockbox, it sits with the means to reading its secrets. They have much to teach and can be found with the Elder Scroll in Blackreach."

"Blackreach? Sounds scenic, to be sure. Where is that?"

"Under deep. Below the dark. The hidden keep. Tower Mzark."

"On the map, Mad Cap, and no more damn riddles. You're making my head hurt."

The old man took my map and with a flourish marked a spot not even close to where we were. Figured.

"Only I know how to enter. You will need these."

Septimus gave me a Dwemer sphere and an etched cube.

"Swear to me you will transcribe the cube for me and the Elder Scroll is yours to do with as you wish. Swear it!"

"I swear, old man. And this better not be another riddle or I'll be back to see if your head will fit in that lock. Understand?"

"Septimus understands more than you think, now leave my dig and take with you your stink." He turned away and went back to studying his lockbox.

As much as I would have loved to shut the crazy man's mouth for him, it was enough that he was quiet now and told me enough to get me started on getting the Elder Scroll, provided he had not totally fallen off his cabbage cart.  
Outside, a storm was brewing. The wind was making the heavy snow fly sideways. I did not know if going all the way back to Winterhold was practical. There must be a place closer to hold up. We started off nearly back the way we came but found a disjointed ice floe to follow so we were able to stay out of the water. We skirted past a couple of horkers. I noticed Lydia's jaw tighten whenever she saw one now, recalling Faralda's angry comment at the entrance to the College. I could not help but laugh, and wonder, at how a wrestling match between the two would go. Clothing optional, of course. Faralda had the height but Lydia had a few pounds on her, especially in her wide...

"Hello," Lydia interrupted, "Can we keep going?"

"Oh, sorry," I said, "Just got a little lost in, uh, all those insane ruminations of Septimus. That's one loosely woven basket, huh?"

"Whatever. Look, there's a building up in those crags. Let's try there, this wind is going right through my armor."

I needed to focus on my footing so I tried to put that image out of my mind. Lydia's teasing was obvious but I would not fall for it this time. I had offered to warm her up enough times and been shot down. I took the lead, following a windswept path through the rocks. We must have been near some sort of Barrow or Temple because we were set upon by a troop of skeletons, some with bows shooting from higher ledges. Lydia summoned her spectral wolf and I laid into the undead with my sword. They were weak, however, taking only two hits before they crumbled into chew things for the wolf. I gathered their arrows since mine were getting low. Must have been all these dragon attacks. I noticed Lydia has a lot of iron arrows but those were crap. I would borrow those only if I needed to. They were not as bad as the splintery forsworn ones, but they are weak enough.

There was an alter with a skeleton on top of it but I could not tell who it was dedicated to. I found the entrance to the Temple but it was locked. Even with my hands half frozen the lock was easy to pick and we were in. I barely got three steps inside before a crypt in front of me broke open and a large, well-armored draugr stepped out, armed with a greatsword that was radiating frost. His eyes burned blue beneath a horned helmet. I decided to go after him like I did the Draugr in Bleak Falls Barrow. I quickly downed one of my regeneration potions, gagged back the taste, and charged the dead warrior.

My power strikes staggered him nearly every time. He must have been weakened from his slumber. Lydia summoned another wolf who grabbed hold of his leg and tried to pull him away from his crypt with vicious shakes of his head. The Draugr shouted something but I think I was too close and the power only blew past me. I kept up the attack, bashing him whenever he drew back his sword then bringing all my weight down with a follow-up downward slash. Lydia added the occasional fireball from one of her staves and in no time the draugr was down on one knee. One more blow sent him back to the dead. I had had more trouble with bears on the road than with these pumped up skeletons. I took his sword and checked a nearby chest. After unlocking it, I find gold, some Orcish looking arrows, a fancy glowing ring, and a book titled simply 'Calm'. The book turned out to be a spellbook, which I learned easily. It seemed harmless enough but when I tried it on Lydia it started but then fizzled before it completed.

"What are you trying to do?" she asked, suspicious at me pointing my hands at her.

"Nothing, I guess. I don't think we can stay here. It's not as warm as it looked like it would be. There's still snow and wind coming in from cracks in the walls. Feel up to making a run to Winterhold?"

"You're just anxious to back to the College to find Faralda."

"Jealousy is not your best look, Lydia. Understandable, but not attractive."

"Please, spare me your narcissism for one day. If we're going to Winterhold so you can see that elf bitch, then I want to go back to Riften in the morning. I forgot to return that bow to Dravin after I told Shavina I would."

"Shavina? Who cares about her? It's not like you two are friends or anything. Or are you?"

"What is your problem? You need to get a handle on yourself."

"I'm about at that point. I'm hoping Faralda will help me with that as well."


	31. Day Thirty-two

_**Hello, good readers. I appreciate those of you who have followed the adventures of my hero(?), Ralos so far. Just thought I'd leave a note. Since this is from actual gameplay, you may have noticed when Ralos figures out something about his sword or armor. This is when in the game I added a perk to his skill sets and I just wanted to add that somehow to the story. On with the show...**_

Day Thirty-two

I got up later than usual. Faralda was already gone from the bed. She left a note saying she had a mission to attend to and would be eagerly awaiting my next visit. I noticed empty potion bottles next to the bed and my first thought was they were used skooma. For a moment I felt a pang of longing for the stuff. Then I realized they were bottles of health and stamina. It was quite a long night for the both of us and I think I may have missed my calling. Perhaps later in life I could retire as a Greybeard because I was able to teach the Altmer how to shout, several times, to the point where she had to cast Muffle on herself or risk disturbing the others. Just another night as Ralos Ravenclaw, Dragonborn and expert Desire Tamer.

Lydia was waiting by the statue of the College's founder. She was more taciturn than usual which was fine by me. I was more relaxed than I had been in days, no thanks to her. Despite the detour to Riften and the lack of a carriage in Winterhold, things were going pretty smoothly.

Not far out of the town, we ran afoul of a brown bear. It was a quick fight but I did manage to learn a new twist to my sword as well as a better way of deflecting damage with my gauntlets. I was confident I could strike harder now as well as absorb damage better with my heavy armor. This day was just getting better. Down the road I saw two redguards men harassing a redguard woman. I was about to intervene but then one man convinced the other to let her go, saying she was not the one they were looking for. Wise move, and she even told them so.

A fort appeared over a hill. I saw a skeleton manning a watchtower so I crouched down behind some roadside bushes and took him out with one of the new Orcish arrows I found. That had some punch behind it. I would have to find more of those. A couple of angry mages appeared along with a colossal atronoch made of ice. I assumed they did not appreciate my rearrangement of their skeleton's bones. I did not feel like using up my potions taking out these robe wearing spell chuckers so I waited for them to go back towards their fort. I marked it on my map to clean out later. Lydia told me it was called Fort Greenwall, but she heard it was empty. It would be soon enough. We crept by it and continued along the road.

A dragon could be heard roaring somewhere nearby but I did not see it. They seemed to be growing more numerous. The road wound through some snowy woods but eventually brought me to a large city called Windhelm. I was not yet tired from our walk so I decided not to stop. I was heartened by the sight of a carriage for hire. I told him to wait a moment while I sold some stuff to a Khajiit caravan nearby. He tried to sell me some skooma. Lydia was chatting with the driver and the Khajiit was very persuasive. He offered a buy one get one free deal and I decided, what the Nines? It no longer had a hold on me, and what better way to prove it. I would keep it with me for a while, not touch it, then I would know I had beaten it. I wrapped the bottles in a linen wrap, put them with my gems, and returned to the carriage. The driver said he was able to take us to Riften, if we wanted. We both decided to take him up on it. We could just eat a lunch while we rode and take it easy for a change.

The ride was short, just long enough to eat and catch up on the latest gossip from the driver. Apparently there had been a rise in vampires in a couple of provinces, but not here, though they seemed to be headed this way. There was even talk of reviving something called the Dawnguard, whatever that was. Frankly, I could not care less. If the rumors became a reality, I might listen, but until then I had too much to do to give it a second thought.

Some guards standing around the stables outside Riften were able to direct me to a farm to the West called Merryfair where they thought a man named Dravin worked. It was getting late but we found him still working out in the fields. He was surprised to see the bow and I thought he was about to accuse me of stealing it in the first place, but if he suspected me, he held his tongue. Lydia mentioned how she met Shavina and told her she would return the bow. Dravin became dreamy eyed talking about the woman and how he hoped she was doing well. I hurried things along and he snapped out of his revelry long enough to offer to pay us a reward.

He handed a pouch to Lydia. "I hope it is enough. It's all I have right now."

Lydia did not even look inside, "Whatever it is, I appreciate it. If I see Shavina again, I'll tell her you miss her."

Away from the farmer, I nudged my housecarl, "So what did he give us?"

"Us?" she said, perplexed for some reason. "I found the bow and I had to force the issue of returning it. Whatever he gave me is mine." She fished out the pouch and looked inside. A handful of gems, garnets and amethysts rolled around inside.

"Say, those are nice," I remarked, "the jewels, I mean. You've got a point, I suppose. I'll keep those safe for you with the rest of my stuff if you want. Just put them in my pack and you can do what you want with them back at Breezehome."

Lydia thought for a moment, then reached for the knapsack I had been using. She stopped as she began to open it, then closed it back up.

"On second thought," she said, "I'll just keep these with me. It makes more sense not to put all of our valuables in one bag. Wouldn't you agree?"

I did not, but I could tell she was not opening it up for a debate. "Sure, whatever. They're only gems, right? How about we grab dinner and turn in early? I was thinking we should probably make a quick return to Whiterun before tackling this Tower of Mzark. It sounds like some preparations would make sense."

"For once, I agree with you," she said, "That does make sense. Are you feeling all right?"

"Ha ha, you're funny. Have I ever told you that? Want me to carry your pack for you to the inn?"

Lydia clutched the pack with the gems in it. "Just move along, I've got this."

I shrugged and started towards Riften. I didn't want to carry her stupid gems... I mean pack, anyway.

Once inside Riften the first person we encountered was some wizened old woman begging for coins. The rags she wore could barely be called clothing and there were more gaps in her smile than in a carriage wheel. I tossed her a few septims and caught a whiff of skooma on her breath as she thanked me. She probably would have thanked me with a length of steel if she knew I had skooma in my pack. It had been a while since I had seen an addict so far gone.  
I needed a distraction after that so after dinner I looked up Haelga again. She was pleased to see me, very pleased, and did an exceptional job of distracting me. She had quite a collection of instruments dedicated to Dibella in her room at her Bunkhouse. She had honey, leather straps, the works, though I declined the shackles on the bed. I was almost killed by an assassin in this city, you know. I managed to sneak out before she awoke, taking one of the stamina potions with me, still feeling drained, but happy. I found Lydia still asleep in our room. I tried to wake her to leave but she took a swing at me and went back to sleep. I dropped into the other bed and dozed until she decided to get up.


	32. Day Thirty-three & four

Day Thirty-three

Lydia finally woke me up late and we stay just long enough to have a big breakfast at the inn before catching a carriage to Whiterun. I had forgotten how far it was plus we had to stop to go around a mammoth carcass in the road. What a mess that was.

We arrived at Whiterun late and barely caught Belethor in time to sell some extra crap we found. I dropped off my new gems and rings and took a moment to look it over. For some reason, it did not entrance me like it used to. What the Nines was I thinking? What was the point of just leaving all this lying around? I should just sell this stuff. You could never have too much gold when building an empire. Maybe I should buy another house somewhere else. Solitude was not bad, plus there were many buxom babes walking about looking me over. It never hurt to have more than one place to feel safe in, especially when everyone wanted a piece of you. Speaking of which, I wondered what that Saadia over at the Bannered Mare was doing? She was watching me pretty close last time. Lydia did not feel like doing anything so she stayed at Breezehome and read a book. Boring. I was too restless and all this thinking about some of the available women here only made it worse. I headed for the Bannered Mare.

It was a slow night but then I remembered it was a Sundas so people probably went to bed early. Whatever. I asked Hulda about Saadia but she said she was busy rinsing the linen wraps. I settled for an ale at the counter.

"Hey, friend, you don't want that swill."

I looked over to see a man sitting at a nearby table. I did not recognize him but he seemed likable enough.

"What's wrong with this?" I asked him.

"I've got a special brew here waiting to be savored. In fact, how about a drinking contest? You and me?"

"And you are?"

"Sam Guevenne, Thane. Yes, I know who you are. Your reputation is well known about town. So how about it? If you win, I've got a staff you can have."

A staff? That ought to get Lydia out of her mood. "You're on," I said, "You don't stand a chance. I come from a long line drinkers and drunks. It's in my blood."

"I figured as much. I'll start round one. Down the hatch!"

Sam emptied his tankard like a pro then handed me one. It smelled like mead but with something extra. I took a sip and it was the best mead I had ever tasted. I slammed the tankard down on the table. "Shor's bones, that's good!"

"Well then, how about another? Round two. This one's for the ladies." Sam knocked another back but staggered a bit.

This was going to be easy. I took another drink from him and downed it just as quickly. It made my head tingle but I kept my feet.

"You've done this before, haven't you?" Sam asked. "Look, I've hit my limit. One more and you win."

"No problesh," I said and took the proffered drink. Down it went and I had to concentrate to keep standing straight. It did have a kick to it after all.

"I can see I'm no match for the great Thane! You win. Hey, you really know how to have a good time. I know this little place where the wine flows like water. What do you say?"

"How bow the wimma?" I think I asked, "D'they flow like watta too? Ha!"

"Hey, you don't look so good..." I heard Sam say before everything faded to black.

Day Thirty-four

"Wake up," a voice commanded, "I said wake up you slovenly wretch of a deformed troll."

I peeled my eyelids open and wondered if someone had shoved a shiv into the base of my skull. "Where am I?"

"Where are you?"

I looked up to see a blurry form in a red robe. The voice was that of a woman but I could not yet make out her face. She folded her arms and continued in a hard yet sultry voice.

"Then I suppose you don't recall throwing trash all over in a drunken rage, fondling statuary, or blathering about stealing livestock and getting married?"

I did not know which one of those to question first so I started with the most important. "Who did I fondle?"

Suddenly Lydia ran in. Wait, no, we couldn't have.

"There you are, you drunken fool," Lydia said.

"Um, Lydia, this woman here mentioned some nonsense about a marriage. We're not...I mean...we didn't...?"

Lydia held my arm affectionately, "How can you not remember, my Love? The way you begged me to be yours, the way you challenged any man who so much as looked at me. You were magnificent. And the wedding night, magic."

I could only stand slack-jawed and nauseous.

Lydia continued, "Of course that was after the boulder fell on my head, knocking every last bit of sense out of me. That look on your face alone is telling enough, you clod."

I shook myself out of my stupor, "I was only shocked...that...I could be so lucky. I can't tell you how disappointed I am now."

"Then why are you smiling so?"

"It's a smile to hide my heartbreak..."

"Enough of this foolishness," said the priestess. "Both of you blasphemers need to leave my temple but not before you clean up the mess you made. Dibella will not stand for having her home in such a state."

Once my eyes had focused I could see this priestess was beautiful. I was hoping her name was Statuary. To get on her good side, I started picking up whatever was laying on the floor. Mostly I found empty wine bottles but I also found a note about items needed to repair a staff for Sam. Sam! Now it was starting to come back to me. Well, the name anyway rang a bell. I finished cleaning up and apologized to the Priestess.

"Well, I suppose you were not yourself last night," she said.

"Ha!" Lydia scoffed.

"Dibella teaches forgiveness so I will let your indiscretions go. My name is Senna. Is there something I can do for you?"

The offer is almost too open to resist coming from a priestess of Dibella, but I tried to stay on topic. "Was there a man with me at any point last night, named Sam?"  
"There were many people here last night. We make no judgements."

Lydia laughed. "Do I even want to know, Ralos?"

"I'm not sure I want to know."

Senna continued, "You kept mentioning some drinking buddy in Rorikstead, between belching contests. Try there first."

I thanked her and she marked it on my map for me. I found Lydia who was holding some implement from a long cushioned alter.

"What do you crush with this?" she asked the priestess. "It seems too soft for a pestle."

Senna whispered something in her ear. Lydia's mouth gaped open and she dropped the object like it was hot.

"I'm ready to go," she said, grabbing my arm on her way out.

"But what is it for..."

"Never mind. Let's go, I need to wash my hands."

Outside of the temple I found out we were in Markarth. Everywhere I looked there were stone stairs and waterfalls. Pretty, even at night, but how the Nines do I get out of here? I asked the first guard I found and he pointed me towards Rorikstead which I was pretty sure I passed by when I left Karthspire and headed towards Whiterun. I was more convinced when we pass Old Hroldran after climbing some hills. We kept going until we ran across a farming village in the middle of nowhere. It had to be Rorikstead. A passing guard identified a farmer named Ennis who has been talking about two guys who recently caused some trouble.  
I approached the farmer, wary of the rusty hoe in his rough hands. As soon as he saw me I knew I was in trouble.

"You!" he said acidly, "You've got a lot of nerve showing up here again after what you pulled."

"What are you talking about?"

"What? You don't remember my beautiful Glenda?"

Now it was getting interesting. "Glenda...can't say I do. What does she look like?"

"She's my pride and joy. Curly hair, cute little nose, and the fastest tail you've ever seen."

"Sounds like my type, all right. You can see for yourself why she must have been irresistibly attracted to me."

"Bah, she's too friendly for her own good. She'd come to anyone with a handful of feed and willing to scratch her behind the ears."

Lydia laughed, "She really does sound like your type."

"All right. Eh, where can I find Glenda?"

"You mean you've lost her? I knew I should have turned you and your drunk crony into fetilizer when I had the chance. You left with her and sold her to that Giant over the hill."

"I... sold her?"

"Aye, and you'd better get my prize goat back or I'm going to the guards. They're already on edge with that dragon flying around earlier."

"Goat?" I said, "Glenda's a goat?"

"Have you no limits to your depravity?" Lydia asked.

"He said I took it, not that I... whatever. We saw that giant on the way here. I think we can catch up with it if we hurry."

"Lead the way," Lydia said, "I've got your baaaack."

I so need a new follower.

We headed South and the first thing I saw was the dragon Ennis spoke of flying overhead. It was keeping its distance so I ignored it. If it wanted to fight let it at least wait until we got near the giant. They could not seem to resist fighting each other. I found the giant looming over the rocks of the hill and then I saw a goat grazing nearby. It did not look like anything special and it definitely did not look familiar. I approached it and it came right up to me.

"Seems you made quite an impression on somebody," Lydia said.

"Come on, you stupid goat," I said. "You too, Glenda."

The giant turned at the sound of my voice and grunted.

"Now, I don't want any trouble, giant, so just remind me what I paid you and I'll double it for the goat. Sound fair?"

"Grok smash!"

Giants were obviously unreasonable creatures, especially when dealing with their livestock. I had seen the damage one of their clubs could do to a dragon and I wanted no part of that. I ditched the goat and ran to some high ground in the form of a rock outcropping. Lydia distracted him with her bow. Grok the giant chased me until an arrow punctured his ear then he turned his attention to my housecarl. I got my own dwarven bow of iciness out and continued the barrage. I landed three arrows in his head while Lydia switched over to her battleaxe. I felt something wet on my leg and looked down to see Glenda licking the back of my exposed knee. I had to stop and shoo her away. How did she know I was ticklish there?

I looked up in time to see Grok smash the ground in front of Lydia and she knelt down to try and recover. Grok must have remembered who he was fighting and found me nearby. He moved faster than I thought possible and his charge was intimidating as the ground shook with each step. I met it by switching to my sword and cleaving down onto his face. He staggered back and I used my fire breath to set him on fire. I swear I could see bugs fleeing the burning carnage of his loincloth.

"Grok burn!" he bellowed.

He regained his footing and raised his club but I was already backing away and all his weapon did was send dirt and stone into the air. I poured a bottle of frostbite poison on my blade and gave his lumpy grey head another whack. It staggered him again but I could not tell if the poison was working or not. Lydia returned to the fight and nearly severed his leg off at the knee. He twisted back to her but I could tell he was nearly finished. He swung and only grazed her armor. I jumped down and together we delivered fatal blows to Grok the giant buffoon.

The goat ran up to me as I picked up some still warm gold that had fallen out of the giant's pocket. Glenda started nibbling at Grok's toe and I shooed her away towards the farm. "Too little too late, there goat-face. Now back home with you."

Nearly there, wolves came out of nowhere and nearly set upon Glenda. I slaughtered one and Lydia took out the other with her bow. Just when you thought it was safe to walk your goat, a dragon decided to drop in for a visit.

The flying beast hovered between two farms. "I am Nahagliv and this is my territory. Prepare to die!" It finished by breathing ice over everything in front of it, which was mostly me.

It flew off as the farmfolk panicked.

"A dragon!", "Save us Akatosh!", "Give it the goat as tribute!"

"Shut up, fools!" I yelled and tried to lead the dragon away from the farm. If it killed Ennis, I may never know where to find Sam and about this heinous talk of marriage. The dragon, however, had other plans and remained near the farms, no matter how many arrows we hit it with. At least Glenda had stayed near me and out of the way. The guards showed up and soon there were five of us shooting this arrogant dragon. It made one more sweep, breathing ice, then landed in the middle of the farm opposite Ennis'. I rushed in, using my fire breath on it and slashing at its side with my sword. I saw Lydia crunching her battleaxe into its snout. I delivered one more stab under its wing and Nahagliv reared his head up then died. I astounded everyone by absorbing its soul, but I left it to them to pick its skeleton out of the potatoes and leeks.

"Ba-a-a-a," said Glenda at my side.

"I may just buy you to have as a snack on my way to find Sam," I told the noisy little animal.

"Getting your goat, is she?" Lydia quipped.

"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you? Follow me."

I found Ennis back at his crops but it took him several minutes to shut up about me slaying the dragon and to get back down to business.

"Here's your goat," I said, "Now can you help me or not?"

"You left me a note trying to explain things but most of it was crazy talk and the rest was splashed with mead. All I could get out of it was owing Ysolda in Whiterun."

"Ysolda?" I said, "Did I marry her?"

"The note says you owe her," said Lydia, "Mara knows you'd have to pay me a lot to marry you, too. You could do worse than her, though."

"I think being married at all is bad enough. Now I have to wait to get to Whiterun before I find out anything else. Did the note say anything about a guy named Sam?"

Ennis shook his head, "Perhaps your wife will know more when you get there."

"Stop saying that! I'm not married!"

I stormed off towards the road leading to Whiterun. If there was even a plowhorse here somewhere I would have risked stealing it just to hurry this mess along.

Lydia caught up to me. "So, Thane. Are you going to let the little woman continue to work or is she just going to cook and clean for you?"

"Shut up."

"She seems the motherly type. Are you planning a big family? Lots of little Raloses running around. The thought gives me chills."

I did not even bother to respond to her nonsense. I was too busy thinking and sweating, and not from the heat of the day.

On the road, we passed another farmer, this one leading a cow tattooed with lines and designs all over it. I tried to just pass by him but Lydia had to stop and talk with him.

"What's going on with the cow?" she asked.

"I'm taking it as tribute to the giant so he will leave us alone. He hasn't bothered us once since we've been doing this."

"Really?" I said, "I've got some lint in my bellybutton that keeps sabrecats away. I'll sell it to you for fifty septims."

"What? That's ridiculous."

"You don't see any sabrecats around, do you? Must be my bellylint."

The farmer looked around, listened for something. "How much did ya say?"

"Nevermind him" Lydia told the farmer, "What's with all the makings?"

"That's how the giant knows it's for him."

"Good luck with that," I told him and left him to his painted cow.

Lydia caught up. "What do you make of that? I've never heard of a giant attacking a village."

"It's just superstition. Either that or the giant is perpetuating a belief for free cows. If that's the case at least we know not every giant is as dim as Grok."

Further along I saw the skeleton of a dragon that I did not remember killing. I walked over to it then saw the stone pillars and recalled it was the one that Esbern said was the last one he killed, Voljotnaak. That's when I saw it is laying on top of a metal grate with a chest locked away inside. I looked around and saw a pull lever but when I turned it nothing happened. Lydia pointed out the pillars nearby and together we figured out how they needed to be facing. I opened the grate and inside the chest I found a book called, 'Hypothetical Treachery'. Another mage instructional book that I did not get. I took it anyway to keep it out of others' hands.

On our way away from there, we were attacked by a skeletal warrior. We killed him easily but I heard another clattering around on the other side of a large rock. We climb the rock and found him by a hidden alter. He died as easily as the first. Around the alter were two mages laying dead. On one I found a spell book called 'Sparks'. It seemed easy to do if I tapped into my healing magic a different way. But why would I? On the other was a book called, 'Liminal Bridges', which left me totally confused. I took it as well to keep out of dangerous hands.

Finally I could see Whiterun in the distance. It was getting late so we picked up our pace to try and get there before people went to bed.

Once we arrived in Whiterun I suggested that perhaps all this would be better handled in the morning when everyone was rested and feeling more like themselves. Lydia told me to stop stalling and go find my wife. I only did so because I was tired of hearing that awful four letter word.

I found Ysolda just outside of the Bannered Mare on her way in.

"It's about time you showed up," she rebuked me, "You still owe me."

"Yeah, I've been getting a lot of that," I said.

"So how much did it cost you?" Lydia asked Ysolda, "Besides your self respect?"

"I gave it to him for free."

"That was your first mistake," Lydia said, "Has the fever lifted? I'm assuming you were sick in the head with something."

"It's just that his story was so touching and he had no ring so I gave him one. Aw, don't tell me the engagement fell through already?"

"Engagement?" I said, "So you and I are not married?"

"Oh, by the Nines, no," her face curdled like old milk, "I'm desperate in business but not that desperate in my own life. Now if you don't need the ring either give it back or pay me for it."

"That's just it. Do you know what I did with it?"

"No. You ran off to give it to your true love in Witchmist Grove. You said it couldn't wait and your friend was willing to plan the wedding for you."

"Friend?" I said, "Was his name Sam?"

"I think so. You kept calling him, 'Bro'." She shrugged at the reference.

"Any idea where the wedding was supposed to be?"

"I'm sure your lovely bride will tell you, that is if she still wants you after you left her to say you can't afford the ring. I want my money if you don't need the ring. Don't make me hire some thugs to get it out of you."

"I can afford the ring, I just don't need it. I'm not getting married. This whole thing is a mistake."

"Cold feet?" Ysolda asked.

"Dumb ass," Lydia suggested.

"Pissed off," I corrected.

Ysolda put a hand on her hip, "You're mean when you're sober."

"Look, I'll just go to this Witchmist Grove and get the ring back and this will all be over, all right?"

"True," Ysolda said, "Then there will only be you're fiancee's broken heart and shattered dreams left. But you obviously don't care about that."

"I realize she'll be an emotional wreck, knowing she can never have me, but it's all part of being caught up in my grand destiny. Some day she'll be able to tell her grandchildren how close she was to greatness and she'll at least have that."

Ysolda frowned, "Are you sure you're not still drunk?"

"He's drunk on himself," Lydia said, "Only problem is the rest of us get the hangover."

"Let's go, housecarl. I need to find out where this grove is."

Unfortunately it was growing too late and I was dragging with fatigue after all the fighting and walking. I decided to crash at Breezehome for the night and try to find out where Witchmist Grove was in the morning.


	33. Day Thirty-five

Day Thirty-five

Finding the location of the grove proves more difficult than I thought. Either they did not know where it was or they refused to even talk about it. I had to go all the way to Dragonsreach and ask Farengar, as much as I hated to. I did not tell him why but Lydia had no such tact. For whatever reason he must have found the whole business hilarious because he could barely get the location out while laughing. I left the teary-eyed mage to his guffawing and hurried to resolve this predicament once and for all.

It turned out Witchmist Grove was fairly close to Eldergleam Sanctuary. That must have been how I met her, I just did not remember it. I did not even recall what it looked like. I pictured it as some romantic hidden garden like the Eldergleam. My fiancee was probably one of the scantily clad nymphs frolicking in the warm waters. I suggested as much to Lydia on our way there. She needed to be prepared to alleviate her jealous streak towards me.

"If that is so, why would they name it Witchmist Grove?" she asked, "Wouldn't Lover's Garden be better, or in your case, Fool's Paradise, maybe?"

I shrugged, "It's probably meant to keep the riffraff away. Keep it exclusive for the higher class of people."

"Like you?"

"Exactly."

"Uh huh. Fool's Paradise, it is."

We closed in on the spot Farengar marked on my map, but I was getting skeptical at his memory. I did not see any hidden garden or anything like a romantic grove. All I saw was an old, overgrown patch of dying trees. This must be one of the mage's ideas of a joke. Lydia pointed out a hut deep inside and suggested asking the inhabitants if they had heard of it. With no one else around for miles, I decided that would be best.

As soon as we entered the clearing of the hut, I saw a nasty crone of a hagraven standing on the stairs. She appeared to be waiting for us but she did not instantly attack. She must have seen she was outmatched. I approached to within the staked fence around her home.

"It's about time you returned, dear Ralos," the hagraven said.

Recollection slowly, horribly, began to dawn on me. "Moira?"

"Oh, this is even better than I had hoped," Lydia said.

"So you've returned to consummate our love," the hagraven rasped, "And I see you've brought a female friend this time. Last time with Sam was fun, I'll admit, but we were all drunk. I don't really intend to have so open a marriage."

I meant to speak but only vomited in my mouth a little.

"He's all your's, you little water nymph," Lydia said, chuckling. "I'm just here to make sure the Dragonborn's legacy stays accurate for the bards."

"So you truly are Dragonborn. That explains that oddly shaped birthmark on your..."

"Actually," I interrupted before I vomited again, "I am here to get the ring back."

The hagraven's eyes closed to angry slits and she flexed her clawed hands. "What? You want it for that hussy Esmerelda with the dark feathers, don't you? I knew you two did more than throw stones at the giant's camp! My sister is such a slut! That's where you got those claw marks on your back!"

"Two hags?" Lydia said, "And sisters? You stud."

I was going to need constant mead to make sure that memory never returned.

"So be it, Ralos Likesitraw," Moira hissed, "But if I can't have you, no hag will!"

Moira sent a fireball crashing into us. I caught most of it and struggled to unsheath my sword. Lydia must have expected a fight would break out because she immediately summoned a wolf with her staff. The spectral animal nipped and bit at the hagraven just long enough for me to drink two healing potions then dive in after her. Past relations notwithstanding, if she intended on killing me, then she must die. Nothing can interfere with the destiny of the Dragonborn. My sword cleaved into her unarmored body while she attempted to claw my eyes out as well as several obvious swipes at my sensitive, yet well protected, Dragonhood. I ended the engagement by severing all ties with her, by which I meant her ugly head. I found the ring already on her bony, hairy finger.

I put the ring in my pocket and stood before Lydia. "I command you never to speak of this to anyone."

Lydia's face was stoic, but I could see the corners of her mouth twitching and her eyes were watering. "Really?"

"I am Thane of Whiterun and the Dragonborn of des... look, as a favor to me and as a decent human being and fellow Nord. Let's keep this between us. Deal?"

"And what will my silence get me?"

"Anything you want," I said, trying not to sound too hopeful, "Just name it."

Lydia paused, "I'll have to think on it. This isn't something like a stolen chicken or a murder in an alley. This is people will love to hear about."

"Take your time," I said, "It's a long walk back to Whiterun. No hurry, as long as you're quiet."

"Hmmm," Lydia said and simply walked back towards the road.

I did not like the sound of that at all. I may never drink again.

Lydia was actually quiet all the way back to Whiterun, which made me more nervous than her talking. She didn't have to give my offer so much consideration. A raise in pay or her own house would have sufficed. I don't think I wanted to know what she was going to come up with. We made it back to Whiterun without too much trouble and quickly found Ysolda in the market square. I pulled her aside out of earshot in case Lydia started retelling the tale for the fun of it.

"Here's your ring back," I said, "turns out it was a misunderstanding."

"Oh, sorry it didn't work out," Ysolda said, sounding truly sad, "You were so excited about the ceremony, saying you've never been to Morvunskar and that Sam was going to set it up for you."

"So Sam is at Morvunskar?" I asked.

"That's what he said. He said he would be ready for you if you showed up, even had some magic staff for you to handle the guests, whatever that means."

"Well, there'll be no ceremony but I still want to have a word with Sam. I've gone through too much to let him off that easy."

Ysolda waved goobye. "Farewell then and... hey, there's hair stuck to this ring. What did she do, throw it at you? She must have been furious."

Lydia said, "You could say she lost her head."

"Well, we better get some sleep if we're to go all the way to Morvunskar," I said and pulled Lydia away towards Breezehome.

On the way, Lydia asked, "What was that about a staff? What was she talking about?"

"I forgot about that," I said, "In fact that was the whole reason I started drinking with Sam, as a contest to win some staff he said I could have. I was going to give it to you, since you seemed down the other day. I think I won, but he never gave it to me. Believe me, he owes me a lot more than a staff now. In fact if he tries to give me just a staff for all this I may just shove it up..."

"Let me get this straight. You did all this for me?"

"Well, I started out doing that and I guess it just snowballed into this mess. Serves me right for trying to do something nice."

Lydia was quiet again and I did not like it but once we were inside Breezehome she said, "All right. If there's a staff waiting at Morvunskar, I won't say anything about your drunken escapades. I may not ever let you forget it, but no one else will know from me. Deal?"

"Deal."

I swore if Sam was not there with a staff, I would make one out of his spine. I started to get things ready for a dinner but Lydia told me she would do it and I could go get changed if I wanted.

Now I was really confused.


	34. Day Thirty-six

Day Thirty-six

The next morning I expected some biting remarks from Lydia, now that she had had a whole night to think of some doozies. Instead, it was just business as usual with eating and getting supplies together for the walk to Morvunskar, which turned out to be not far from Witchmist grove. Lydia's silence is oddly disquieting. I did not know if she was mad or disappointed, or just plain tired from all the walking. I guessed like always I would find out later, most likely when I would rather not.

The road was clear with only a skeever attack to speak of near a ritual stone, probably some mage's pet left behind. I found Morvunskar, which was basically a large stone fort. Instead of Sam and wedding decorations, however, I encounterd hostile skeletons followed by even more hostile mages, five of them all totaled. Lydia and I waded through the sea of black robes and elemental magic until they were piled up in the blood stained snow.

"Charming little place your friend picked out," Lydia said. "Quite the reception. And you said this was planned by a friend? Are you sure you didn't steal his goat or bed his hag?"

I wished I could say for sure I did not but my memory was still a muddled mess. "Yes, I'm sure," I lied. She had enough ammunition already for years of needling.

While searching the mages I found two spellbooks teaching frostbite and candlelight. I read them and the instructions seemed easy and actually remained in my memory. I doubted I would ever use them but with all the unexpected things going on lately, I would rather be prepared. We only found one door to the inside of the fort so we used that.

Inside I could hear banging like at a blacksmith's shop. The interior was damp and dark. It was becoming more apparent that if Sam was here, he was taking his time with setting up the decorations. I followed the smithing sounds until I found two mages working a forge and complaining the whole time about having to do it. Even watching them briefly told me they had little experience at what they were doing. I was surprised their robes were not catching on fire. I decided it was time to show them what a real sword could do. I caught them by surprise and they barely had time to put up their wards before I beheaded one and cut the other down. She landed face first into their too cool forge. The smell of burning hair is nauseating. I grabbed an open book nearby and left the room. It turned out they were using a book called, 'Cherim's Heart', which gave a series of basic weapon forging instructions. I packed it away for my collection and we moved on cautiously.

We did not get too far before I spied a mage performing a ritual of some sort atop a flight of stairs. I doubted he was busy wrapping my wedding present so I laced an arrow with poison and sent it flying into his throat. I must have only grazed him because instead of dying, he turned around and advanced towards us, his hands glowing. From out of nowhere, three more mages joined him and the next thing I knew Lydia and I were in a pitched battle with ice shards, fireballs, and curses filling the dark halls. I took out two of them while Lydia and her summoned wolf take out the other two. During the fight I depleted my supply of potions, even one I had found on the floor while scrambling for position. Lydia shrugged off her pain but I could tell she had had a tough fight of it as well. It figured nothing but damn dirty mages would be at a party arranged for me. Sam was going to pay for this all right.

I went up the stairs to see if there was a door. At the top I froze as a magical circle appeared. I looked into its blue and white swirling mists and I could hear water running, like of a stream or river rolling over rocks. I could almost make out some scenery within but I did not want to get too close to whatever it was.

Lydia arrived next to me, "What is that?"

"I don't know. It appeared once I got up here. I think I can see some sort of misty grove inside."

"Really? Let have a look."

Lydia tried to peek around me but in doing so, bumped me closer with her prodigious hips. The circle became a vortex, sucking me into it. I reached out to grab Lydia for support but the force was too strong and it ended up pulling both of us in.

When my vision cleared, I found myself indeed in a mist-veiled grove, dimly lit but with decorative lanterns. The grass was lush and green and the trees were healthy and in full bloom. Idyllic, to say the least.

"Now this would make for a beautiful wedding," Lydia said. "Do you suppose Sam knew about this place?"

"If he's here, I hope he'll like it as a final resting place."

I saw a path and followed it across wooden plank bridges and over peaceful green hills. It lead to a clearing where I heard voices laughing and joking. Once it opened before me I saw a long table beneath hanging lanterns. Barrels of mead were set up and eight men were sitting around the table drinking and having a grand time. One of the men saw Lydia and stood up to shout, "Finally, the entertainment has arrived!" Followed by a chorus of whoops and hollers.

I did not hear anything after that because in front of me I saw Sam Guevenne, smiling and happy to see me. A wave of calm passed over me. I still thought he must pay for his misleading me, but I just did not feel like acting upon it. He must have done something to me, but he did not seem the type to know anything that powerful.

"I thought you wouldn't make it," he said jovially, "I was beginning to worry I was too subtle."

"Subtle?" I said, "You think an angry giant and a hagraven orgy is subtle? Not to mention I had to cross Skyrim about five times trying to track you down. You've got some explaining to do while I debate reasons not to kill you."

"Kill me? Now there'll be none of that. I just needed some reason to send you galavanting around the world, getting into delicate situations that only someone like you could deal with. You see..," A darkness swirled around Sam and the friendly drunk turned into a devilish looking Deadra, complete with red armor and horns on his head. "You can call me Sanguine, Prince of Debauchery."

"Now look here," I said, "I'm not falling for your illusions and I think..."

"You've proven quite entertaining. Watching you and your reactions has been the most fun I've had in a hundred years."

"Fun? I've got four feet of steel fun for your neck..." I still could not move.

"Oh yes, and here's your staff. I'm a lover, not a liar. Well, not all the time. By the way," he said, addressing Lydia, "Me and my friends have more merriment to plan but we'll gladly wait if you feel like earning a few extra septims with a little dancing and shedding of all that heavy armor."

"My armor stays where it is," she says through gritted teeth, "Pigs. You're all just a bunch of pigs, aren't you?"

"I demand justice!" I shouted ineffectually.

"Now you've insulted your host. You two aren't as fun as I had hoped. You deserve each other. Now be gone!"

The world began to go black. I heard Sanguine laugh and say as I faded away, "Oh, and Ralos, I'll give Esmerelda the hag your best. Oh, wait, that's right. You already did!" More laughter from all the men. Everything went dark.

I came to on the floor of the Bannered Mare. Lydia jogged over to help me up. There was no sign of Sam or the grove or anything. Did any of that actually happen, I wondered hopefully.

"I thought you might not wake up," Lydia said, "Busy dreaming of Moira and her black-feathered sister?" She laughed.

So much for hope. "Didn't we make a deal about that?" I said, taking a seat at the bar. Hulda was busy putting away foodstuffs behind me.

"The deal was that I tell no one, not that I don't remind you whenever I felt like it. Here's your staff."

She thrusted the weapon at me and I flinched. I did not know what I was expecting but it was not a wooden staff with a flower on top. It was too pretty for all the crap I was put through to get it. "What does it do?"

"I don't know. It's your staff so I didn't want to use it with you still being unconscious. I would suggest, however, that we take it to Farengar and see if he knows, or at least use it out in the middle of nowhere where no one can get hurt."

"I'm more worried about myself getting hurt. And I wanted the staff for you, not for myself. It's yours. Do what you want with it."

Lydia seemed unsure of herself for the first time I could recall. She took the staff and looked it over curiously. "Oh, thank you, Tha...Ralos. In that case, eh, we should probably take it to Farengar, I suppose."

"What's wrong with you?" I asked as I stood, testing my balance. "You look like you think the thing's going to come to life and bite you."

She shook her head, "No, it's not that. You're sure you want me to have it? Not just to hold for you, but... you know, to have?"

What did she want, a receipt? "Yeah, it's yours. Ready to go see your boyfriend?"

"Ex-boyfriend."

"If you say so. I saw how you two were looking at each other last time."

"True, he's handsome, in a way. Tell me, does a hagraven's claws grow like that or do they chew them to points?"

"Fair enough, I'll stop."

We went to Dragonsreach and found Farengar who was falling asleep at his desk in front of a large, dusty tome.

"Wha...What is it? Dragons?"

"Relax, Satin-robes," I told the wizard, "We just need information on a staff."

"Ah, my favorite housecarl and our illustrious Thane. I've heard of your recent, shall we say, dangerous adventures."

I looked straight at Lydia, glared, then back at Farengar. "Have you now?"

"Indeed," he chuckled, "I hear you slew three tankards of mead all by yourself before passing out and drooling on the floor of the Bannered Mare. You really ought to pace yourself. Whoever will we get to replace you? Perhaps that one-armed drunkard who kept speaking in the third person and petting the sock on his hand?"

"Finished, Wizard?" Lydia said loudly, cutting off the man's laughter. "We've done more than you have with you in here sleeping with one hand in a book and the other the Nine knows where. Now is there anything you can tell me about this staff?"

We're both taken back by her outburst but for once, I wished it had gone on a little longer. That was nice.

Farengar's surprise was replaced by awe once he set his eyes on the staff. He reached out with a shaky, bony hand and held it gingerly at arms length. "Where did you get such a weapon?"

"I won it in a drinking contest," I said, keeping it as simple as possible.

"No, really, how did you come about acquiring this? You can tell me, I'm a wizard."

"Seriously, that's how I got it. So what does it do?"

Farengar only shook his head, "The luck of the foolish never ceases to amaze me. This, wise Thane, is a Sanguine Rose. It is used to summon a daedra demon to fight for you. They are very powerful, though not always pleasant. Sounds like someone you'd get along with quite well."

"Be that as it may, it's not mine. It's Lydia's."

"That's right," she said, "and I'll be taking my staff back, if you don't mind."

Farengar reluctantly let it go, but his eyes lingered. "How much do you want for it? Surely, it would be safer here, you'd have to agree."

Lydia put both hands on the staff, "I don't know who this Shirley is, but no, I do not agree. It is mine and no amount of money will get it from me. As a matter of fact, let's see what this can do."

Farengar and I both jumped back as she held the staff aloft then struck the rose down towards the ground. A purple swirling mist appeared then dissolved, leaving a black, armored daedra looking very similar to Sanguine himself. He simply stood there looking at us.

"Remarkable," Farengar whispered.

"I am Kynval," it said in a raspy, metallic voice. "Shall I dispose of these two weaklings for you? They are no match for me."

Lydia seemed to ponder the question as Farengar's face turned whiter, then said, "No, I just wanted to see what I was dealing with now that I own this staff. You will be doing my bidding. You may go."

"I will go when my time here is finished. All will flee before my wrath!"

Kynval remained standing for another few moments then vanished with a gurgle and a clattering of his sword, which also disappears with him. The sudden departure made the wizard nearly leap over his map of Skyrim.

"I think that was a successful test," Lydia said. "Time for dinner, Ralos?"

"You're treat? You're on then. Have a good night, Farengar. Oh, and by the smell, you might want to check your clothes. I think you've soiled your satin."


	35. Day Thirty-seven

Day Thirty-seven

When I awoke in the morning, I was exhausted despite a full night's sleep and I had no idea what day it was. Lydia was not too sure either so I was forced to subtly ask Adrienne next door. I would have sworn more time than that had passed. Now that my unintentional diversion with that staff was over I decided to get us back on track with defeating Alduin. I looked forward more than ever to taking over as ruler of the dragons and from there, Skyrim, then all of Tamriel. That would prove to my abhorrent sister who was better to lead our family.

I checked my map and found the mark Septimus had made for our next destination. Of course, it was near Winterhold so that meant more mountain climbing. While checking my packs, including emptying them of assorted gems and other shiny things, I came across the two bottles of skooma I had purchased I did not know how long ago. The fact that I forgot about them must mean I was well over their attraction. My back spasmed, reminding me of my fatigue. I decided to use one of the bottles for a boost of energy. It was sweeter than I remembered. I left the other wrapped up in case the mountains prove ridiculously arduous. Later, I would tell Lydia how I was able to control it now. I could see it now. She would be so impressed by my progress she may even want to test my stamina in other ways. She had been a useful follower so I guess she deserved it.

We set out once again and I decided we should cross the river at Valtheim Keep. It was still empty of bandits. The roving bands must have heard how thoroughly we cleansed it last time and were now wary of moving in. On the other side I found a narrow shortcut through the mountains. Lydia was struggling a bit to keep up and remarked on my energy.

"I feel the end is drawing near, Lydia," I said, "It is almost time for me to take the reigns of this out of control domain and set it right."

"So you're going to delegate others to do the real work."

"Of course. Decision makers are a hundred times more important than the common toiler. Without us, the common folk just flounder and become bandits and lollygaggers. That's why they make statues of us. Now pick up the pace, woman, daylight is burning."

Ah, I could still feel the rush of the skooma like it was the first time. I ought to quit more often. My enhanced energy nearly cost me my life however as I hurried a little too much to prove my superiority and slipped on an icy slope. I tried to slow myself by scraping along the rocks but all it did was scrape me up bad. I landed awkwardly and thought I could feel damage internally. Blood pounded in my ears and I quickly began healing with my magic, though concentrating at first was difficult. Luckily Lydia was too far behind to have seen me fall. That would have proved embarrassing. I was tempted to drink my other skooma for another boost. I could still taste the first on my lips. I heard Lydia climbing over the rocks, calling out my name, and I decided I would have to wait.

Lydia joined me and just past where I landed I spotted a snow covered city down below us. The roofs were covered in domes and there was a lot of metal and stonework, though some had collapsed. It was a Dwemer city, so it must be a ruins, but I could see smoke rising and when I looked closer I saw footprints in the snow. Then I saw movement along a walkway. Bandits. Looked like it was time to stretch my climbing muscles with some sword swinging. I crouched into a sneaking walk and headed towards them, holding my sword beside me.

I still sucked at sneaking. A bandit heard me but I tried hiding behind a large rock, hoping he would go away. It did not work. He talked boldly until he came around the rock and found both me and Lydia waiting for him.

"Welcome to Irkngthand," he shouted, "This city's secrets are ours!"

He died before he could utter a second sentence. Unfortunately, his shouting attracted another of his cohorts but he died just as messily and this time without warning anyone else. I could see others walking around and heard them talking. They suspected intruders but they had not spotted us yet. I decided to take a direct route to a set of stairs. Lydia went around another way so we could catch them by surprise in a sort of pincer attack to disguise our numbers.

I was able to pick off two just using my dwarven bow and orcish arrows even though it seemed to have lost its iciness. I had a close melee battle with a third who caught me off guard as I was pulling an arrow back through my thigh from the distant archer. I had to shout him into a wall then heal magically while he struggled to get back to his feet. I bashed him in the face as he raised his sword then cut him down as he was falling back. I heard Lydia grunting as she liked to do as she swung her battleaxe. I would never tell her, but the sound was actually a bit of a turn on. I followed it down to the lower level. She had just cleaved her opponent's left arm and shoulder off as I got there.

We thought we are done but suddenly yet another bandit attacked us, hitting Lydia first with a wicked looking Orcish greatsword. Lydia must have been weakened from the last fight because she was slow to block and took a tough shot to the breastplate. The female bandit, obviously the chief of this rabble, turned on me and charged like a mother protecting her young. I blocked her swing but she came back with another I had not anticipated and cut through my gauntlets. I managed to stagger her with a pommel to her temple. I tried to heal with magic but for some reason my reserves died out in no time. That was when I noticed the magical aura around her sword. It must have drained my magic with the cut to my wrist.

Luckily, Lydia returned and they started dueling each other while I swigged a healing potion as well as a rare blue potion that was supposed to restore my limited reserves of magicka. I joined the fight and after a vigorous exchange of counters and parries, I landed a slice to her exposed neck. She went down to one knee and I gashed the front of her neck open as well and she collapses to the ground. The snow blossomed red around her head. I took her enchanted sword as well as any other valuables and gave them to Lydia to carry.

I rested on a fallen pillar to catch my breath. "I'm surprised you did not use your new staff," I said to Lydia. "This would have been a perfect time for it with us so outnumbered."

"I thought of it, but I don't want to use it up," she said.

"Well, next time, use it. I'd rather you used that up than have to keep healing all these painful wounds that I didn't have to take. Is there a reason you're afraid to use it up? You can recharge it once we get more of those fancy gems, you know."

"I know. It's just that... I've never been given anything like this before. Not without having to give something in return. Even then, nothing this special. I don't want to ruin it."

I did not know what to say to that. I supposed I had not thought of it, having had whatever I wanted for most of my life. I said the first thing that came to mind. "Hey, you're with the Dragonborn now, Honey. There'll be plenty of exotic and precious items to pick from before long. Just use it, all right?"

"I will, and thank you again, Ralos."

"You can call me Thane. It sounds more official around the underlings. Or Big Daddy Dragon, that'll work too."

Lydia finally laughed, "Thane it is, Dick Bragon."

"That's better, now let's get out of here."

We left Irkngthand by the main gate and headed North again towards Alftand. The way grew colder, especially along the shore of the lake near the city. Either I was not paying attention or my ears were freezing, but two ice wolves were able to get the jump on us and do a fair bit of damage to my arms before I could retreat and get them in front of me for a shout. Their stunned bodies went flying into the woods, one pinwheeling away from a tree as it struck it. Lydia started chopping them up with her axe and I only got in one shot before they were both gone. Their pelts were heavy but would make some nice leather strips or some new cuffs for my armor. Ice wraiths were waiting for us shortly after but they fought with a wolf first. Lydia and I practiced our archery at the group before the wolf died and the wraiths turned on us. They did not last long this time.

We finally got to a spot I remembered. The Nightgate Inn appeared and we stopped to eat and rest up. The room was small with a single bed but for once, Lydia did not even suggest the floor for me. I must have been tired and probably crashing from the skooma, because once in bed and feeling the heat of her body, I fell comfortably to sleep.


	36. Day Thirty-eight

Day Thirty-eight

Lydia was in a good mood in the morning and urged me to get up so we can eat and get moving. I waved her away to go get the food and sat on the edge of the bed. My head felt bloated, like my eyes were about to pop out. My mouth was drier than a draugr's heel and my hands were swollen and shaky. I had forgotten just what skooma could do to ruin your mornings. Perhaps taking that one bottle was not such a good idea. It did help restore my energy. But, no more. It was just not worth waking up like this. I found the other bottle I had bought and nearly threw it out the window, but instead I opened it and took a whiff of the sugary liquid. I could not let someone walking by find it and allow them to get hooked. I doubted they possessed my iron will power. I drank just half to get my hands to stop shaking. I restoppered the top and put it back in case half wore off too quickly. Once that was gone, I was done. By the time I was dressed, I thought I could keep a little food down. I went out to find Lydia had ordered a huge platter of food. My stomach rolled but steadied after a moment. I knew she would be eating most of it anyway.

We left the inn and straightaway found a some wayward pass through the mountains. It looked to save us a few hours of climbing at least. The pass must have been used by someone for a camp or hideout because there was a burial alter set up with a tribute to Arkay. I touched the statue and felt the boost to my hardiness. I also grabbed an amulet with the Arkay symbol that was laying nearby.

Just as we left the pass I could hear the sounds of battle in front of us. I saw four men, most likely bandits, trying to fend of two nasty ice wraiths. I was tempted to just let them fight and pick off the losers, but the skooma I had taken had me anxious to get my sword cleaving into something, or someone. I charged towards the nearest bandit.

While I was battling with a well-armored Nord, I heard Lydia summon something then her daedra warrior, Kynval, pushed past me.

"Stand aside, Dragonchump," he rasped, "Let me show you how to wet a blade!"

I finished off my fight with a clean beheading. "How's that, Hornhead? From now on you will address me as Dragonborn or my Lord."

"Bah!" Kynval spat out then ran without hesitation towards the ongoing fray.

I stopped Lydia as she ran by, "I know I said to use the staff, but is there any way to temper the mouth of your summons?"

"He's a product of Sanguine himself, and you remember how he was. What do you think the chances of quieting him are?"

She ran off to fight. She had a point. I assumed the daedra would just always be as irreverent as Sam, eh, Sanguine. At least he was useful in a fight. He and Lydia had already taken out all of the combatants except for one ice wraith and the daedra's sword seemed to be setting it on fire with each shot. Perhaps he would get better once he witnessed more of my fighting prowess. I was not going to hold my breath, however.

I joined them as they walked among the bodies making sure the bandits were dead. Kynval seems to relish the task, plunging his sword through all of their chests before he finally growled and vanished.

"Your guy's efficient," I said to Lydia, "I'll give him that."

"He's more powerful than my wolf summons, but I don't think I'd like him walking behind me, though he did compliment me on my fighting."

"He gave you a compliment? I'll have to have a word with him next time. I demonstrated just as much skill in front of him and all he did was scoff. Anyway, lets go see if we can find our way into this Alftand, then to Blackreach."

We found a camp nearby outside of a partially buried dwarven ruin but it looked to have been abandoned long ago. The camp members were merely frozen shapes in the snow. I found what presumably the bandits were after - a locked chest that when opened revealed a nice collection of gems and jewelry. While I was picking the lock, Lydia scouted around and found a bridge leading down into the ruin. We had a quick bite to eat and a rest inside one of the tents then followed the narrow walkway to the interior of Alftand.

The inside of the ruins was choked with snow and ice. Rubble from previous dwellers littered the floor. Carts, lanterns, and digging implements were everywhere. There were torches still burning that were laid down on the ground like markers, or perhaps dropped in haste during a fight. Maybe those bandits were lookouts and there were more down here delving. I warned Lydia to be ready.

It was not long before we saw some action but not in the form of bandits. We turned a corner and I could feel us being watched. I slowed to a crouch and readied my sword. Suddenly a golden, metal creature dropped down off the wall and skittered on four spindly legs towards us. I crushed my sword into it and that stopped and dented it but did not kill it. It rebounded by leaping at my face, trying to claw at my eyes with its metal talons. Lydia swatted it aside with her battleaxe. It crashed against a wall and fell to pieces. I examined it, and found the source of its power, a soul gem. I removed it and used it on my bow. The weapon's frostiness returned. With any luck we would run into a few more and be all set for our recharging.

It appeared we had turned very lucky because we encountered a slew of the spidery machines and even some larger ones that rolled on huge spheres instead of legs. They were stronger but dented just as easily.  
Around one corner I could hear a voice, Khajiit, if I was not mistaken. He was arguing with his brother but I only heard him talking. He was yelling about finding where the skooma was hidden. My heart began to race for some reason. I got my bow out and tried once again to be sneaky and try to hit him before he could see us. I caught a glimpse of a tail so I was right about him being a cat-man, but again I was wrong thinking I could be sneaky. He heard me before I could line up a shot. He ran at me with a dagger.

"You must have stolen my skooma, hairless dogs!" he yelled as he attacked.

My arrow went wide and he managed to cut into my less covered midsection. I bashed him with my bow then dropped it and swing my sword out. "You obviously failed to notice my finely trimmed beard and mustache, Cat," I said. "Lydia, let him see your upper lip..." I felt a bang against the back of my helmet then Lydia pushed me aside and attacked the Khajiit with a new ferocity.

"J'darr knows you stole it," the Khajiit squealed, his voice strained from lack of skooma and food. "My brother gave it to you but it's mine."

"I've got your intervention right here, Khajiit," Lydia said, laying into him with her axe.

I shook off Lydia's accidental bump, or so I assumed it was, and finished off J'darr with a stab through his unarmored stomach. His thick fur cleaned the blade on its way back out.

"That cat must have had a fever," I said, "Look how he scratched me."

"Take a good look," Lydia said, "That could have been you in a few weeks the way you were going."

"Eh, yeah, ancient history, girl. Check over by that bed and see if he left a map or something."

Lydia went to the other side of the room and I inspected a knapsack I saw him standing by when he first attacked. Inside I found it is full of empty skooma bottles. The smell was strong and sweet enough to make my throat tighten and my head swim. The bottles clattered as I swayed slightly.

"Find anything?" Lydia asked.

"Nothing," I said quickly, "He was definitely an addict and was definitely out." As subtly as I could, I opened my pack and fished out the two empty bottles of skooma. I tossed them into the Khajiit's pack and closed it up. "Well, I'd say hitching his next ride on the moonsugar carriage is the least of his worries now."

"That's true," Lydia said, coming over to me, "If he had gotten out he might have gotten cleaned up with a lot of help but then there was always a chance for a relapse."

I simply nodded in agreement, trusting in my silence more than my words.

"He probably wouldn't even realize he was hurting those who helped him just as much as himself. But you're right, now he doesn't have to worry about losing everyone who cares about him. Right?"

"Oh, right," I agreed, "I didn't mean to make it personal or anything. I was just talking."

"I know. You're too smart and strong for that, right?"

"You forgot handsome and modest, as well. Must I always remind you? Finally, you're thinking like a real follower," I said with false bravado. "Ready to move on?"

"If you are."

I quickly got us moving and after many more twists and turns and clickety spiders we came to a more open chamber with a raised dais in the middle. The ruins had come alive with sound since we encountered the Khajiit. Gears and turbines were huffing and pounding all over the place. I put a foot on the dais to cross it and instantly two dwarven spheres dropped from walls on either side. They were obviously sentries waiting to pounce. I squared off against one while Lydia summons Kynval to help handle the other. These metal monstrosities packed quite a punch but together we took them down.

"There could be no other end," Kynval announced then disappears.

"Why can't he do that every time?" I asked, "Fight for us then leave when it's over."

"You sound like a typical man," Lydia said, "Thanks, that was a big help and great fun. Gotta go now."

"Wow, where did that come from? You don't see me bringing up my personal issues, do you?"

"You're one big personal issue, Thane. Nevermind, forget I said anything."

Lydia left and I hastened after her. We found a bank of machines behind a golden gate, but this time there was a door and it was open. I took a look inside and saw a large splash of blood on the floor. I investigated further and around the corner I saw the body of a Bosmer with an arrow jutting from his back. I picked up a journal that was laying in his lap and read it. Apparently this fellow, Endrast, was adventuring with a female companion and they were captured by 'the eyeless ones'. They escaped but not successfully, as his corpse would attest to.

"What do you think he means by 'the eyeless ones'?" I asked Lydia.

Lydia shivered, "He must mean the Falmer. I thought I saw some of their weapons and armor back there in a room."

"Why would farmers be down here capturing people? And what do they make their weapons out of? Cow hide and pigs knuckles?"

"Not farmers, you dolt. Falmers, nasty little snow elves that we tried to wipe out long ago. They went underground, losing their sight in the process, though some say they sacrificed it to the Dwemer for their protection from the Nords. If they are down here, we must be careful of poison. They are fond of lacing their weapons with it."

"That figures," I said, "Killing machines and blind poisonous elves. What's next, giant insects?"

"Actually, now that you mention it, I believe the Falmer also raised chaurus. They're like big bugs that spit poison and bite you with infected pinchers."

"You're full of good news, aren't you?"

"Want to know what you're full of?"

"Let me guess, myself?"

"Exactly."

"You can be too." Wink. Grin.

Lydia rolled her eyes, "Pig."

We continued on through more hazardous halls and passageways to a door labeled 'Cathedral'. It seemed out of place for such a dangerous ruin, but we pushed on regardless.

Inside the Cathedral, it looked more like a large cave with a dwarven structure built in the middle. It was definitely a lot darker but I still spotted two creatures skulking around in front of the gate of the structure.

"Are those the falmer?" I asked Lydia.

She nodded. "Disgusting, huh? I think they're even uglier than hagravens."

"Why bring up hagravens?"

"I was just saying. No need to be so sensitive."

"Fine, sorry. You were saying?"

"Just that if you sweet talk them, maybe one will let you kiss... All right, all right, I'll stop. Look, they truly are blind so we can get the jump on them pretty easily, just watch out for their arrows."

We both got our bows out and singled one of them out first. Our arrows caught the falmer in the head but he remained alive. He and his fellow guard somehow located us and slowly advance on us, shooting their arrows. Two more of our arrows take out the first hideous elf and I force shouted the other back up a flight of stairs. We rushed in and disposed of him before he could recover enough to attack.  
We circled around the structure but it seemed the only entrance was the locked gate. I saw steps leading up to a platform so I went up to look for a key. I found two chests with some useful items, but no key. On the way back down I noticed a large crossbow, wondering why that would be right there. Next to it, I saw a lever. I could not tell what it is for, but I moved it anyway. Luckily, it opened the gate below. I was tempted to try out the crossbow but I did not want to attract anymore attention so I left it alone and went down to the opened gate.

Inside, two flights of steps led up to an open area where I saw one of the dwarven machines, bigger than the others, lying in a heap on the floor. I inspected it and find a large soul gem. I took one step upon the landing and I heard a hiss of steam from the other side. Another machine, similar to the one at my feet, came to life and wheeled towards me, arms out ready to strike. I backed up to give myself room to fight while Lydia summons her daedra warrior. The summons met the machine at the edge of the stairs and they began exchanging blows. I saw an opportunity and ran around to the other stairs. While the centaurian was fighting Kynval, I landed my most powerful blow onto its back. It did not even stagger it. These machines were built sturdy, I would say that. The three of us kept it occupied and just as Kynval vanished, I landed the final strike to the machine and it fell down on top of its twin. Distraction seemed to be a great fighting method. I did not get hit once. I could get used to that. I found another soul gem in the centaurian and we left it behind to find another locked gate.

Inside I spotted some Dwarven mechanism in the center of the room but the real action was going on behind it. Two people, a man and a woman were arguing. Lovers' quarrel, no doubt. The woman, a Redguard holding a sword and a nasty looking shield with a cluster of spikes in the center wanted to leave but the Imperial, a man named Sulla did not.

"You just want the treasure for yourself, Umana," Sulla accused. "And to think I brought you here. You are my companion and bodyguard and this is how you repay me? With treachery?"

"This place is cursed I tell you and there is no treasure, only death," Umana inched towards Sulla, her shield up and her sword waving in slow circles. "The rest of our party has perished and I do not intend to be next. I'm leaving, with or without you."

"If you won't stay and help me, then you will die!"

The Imperial unleashed a torrent of fire at Umana. She blocked most of it with her shield and rushed towards him to attack. They squared off and seemed on equal ground at first but Umana's shield seemed to be getting the better of the Imperial as his magic reserves dwindled. She could keep jabbing with those spikes but his flames quickly faded to mere flickers on his fingertips. She was finally forced to finish off her companion who undoubtedly was driven insane by this place. I stepped forward to congratulate her on surviving but she did not take the compliment well. She instantly attacked me, and I had no choice but to shout her into the far wall. Lydia ran in and with two chops of her axe, the Redguard perished.

"That's a shame," I said, taking her shield from her, "I was hoping they had some information we could use."

"I think they were out of clues since they were arguing about going back." Lydia checked Sulla and took his sword and some gold for herself.

"Probably because they needed this," I produced the sphere Septimus had given me. "If she had waited a minute I think she could have accompanied us and been of some help."

"I don't know. She had that trapped animal look in her eye, same as her friend there. She probably would have freaked out or left us first chance she got."

"Anyway, let's see if this is for what I think it is," I said and stepped up to the mechanism. The only thing I could see that was obvious was the small indentation in the top. I checked it against the sphere and it looked like it would fit so I dropped it in. A moment later the blocks around the sphere shifted and slid downwards, revealing a staircase.

"Good old crazy Septimus," I said, "Guess I won't have to kill him after all."

I took the sphere back and followed the stairs which lead to a door. A plaque on the door read, 'Blackreach'. So far everything looked normal, then I step through the door and into another world.


	37. Day Thirty-nine

Day Thirty-nine

To say I had just entered a large cave would be like jumping into a lake and calling it a pond. The darkness would have been overwhelming if not for enormous glowing... things that looked like living mushrooms but they were floating in the air with tentacles hanging down to the ground. They gave a off a faint crystalline hum, not as bad as the nirnroots, but still obvious. There were quite a few buildings that I can see and probably more lost in the gloom. What sort of world had we stepped into? I may have to kill Septimus after all.  
We entered Blackreach on a platform and as soon as I reached the edge I saw one of the Dwarven sentries rolling towards our position. Lydia pointed out a staircase leading down to it. I followed her and was about to engage the machine using my bow when I saw two of those nasty falmer creeping up on us as well. They must have been in their element down here in the dark. A torch would be like a beacon to them.

The falmer split up their attack on me. One ran at me with a sword while the other hung back and shot arrows. I went back up the stairs a bit to stay out of the archer's sight while I battled the other. He managed to score a slice on my hand and it burned more than it should. I felt sick for a moment and realized he must have poisoned the blade. I redoubled my efforts, making sure to bash at him whenever he tries to strike. After he was dead, I meant to go after the other but the sentry rolled up on me and I had to deal with him first. I was worried about Lydia but then I saw her further back gathering her strength. My health was suffering by the time we destroyed the machine, partly due to the poison and also from the falmer archer who had found a spot from which he could hit me. Their arrows were cheap but they must be fairly skilled because each shot hit a sensitive area, though luckily not that sensitive. We tracked down the archer and he died quickly from our own arrows.

"I can see why Umana wanted to leave this place," I said, "I don't know what's worse, the glowing, floating shrooms, the damp chill, or the fact that it feels like there are a hundred falmer eyes watching and waiting to fire arrows at us."

"For once, I agree with you, Ralos," Lydia said, rubbing her arms against the cold. "I say we find this Tower of Mzark as quickly as possible and return to the land of fresh air and sunshine."

We headed out in a wide search pattern. Septimus told us what to look for but only a general direction, which was hard to keep track of in the darkness. We stumbled upon a huge nest of glowing eggs which turned out to be chaurus eggs. I knew this because one ran after us when we got near. Close behind it were four falmers. Lydia immediately summoned Kynval. He sprang into action. "I will feast on your hearts!"

I took up a position atop a tumbled structure and loosed nonstop arrows at whatever enemy was moving, starting with the chaurus. The nasty bug managed to spit poison at me, causing me to search through my pack for a remedy. I found it and returned to the fight. I also set fire to any falmer close enough using my magic. I never really tried it in combat before. It seemed pretty handy to keep them at bay while I continued firing arrows. I was hesitant to use it too much and deplete my magicka reserves in case I needed to heal.  
The battle seemed to last a while since the falmer were too cowardly to stand and fight and we had to go after them, but once they were done they seemed to have done us a favor. In the distance I saw a tall tower with a glowing top that resembled what Septimus described. We cleaned our weapons thoroughly, treated our wounds against poison and infection with some healing potions, and got a quick snack before heading to the tower. This place had a lot of intriguing elements to it but it would have to wait until I was ruler and able to return with reinforcements.

We did not engage in any more fights along the way but I could see things moving around in the shadows. I saw so many things moving that I wondered if I was getting paranoid as my skooma craving had returned. I tried to ignore it and looked at the many places of interest dotting the landscape. One place even had one of those dwarven sentries but this one was easily twice as big as the ones we had fought. At least it stayed where it is. I was not even sure we could have outrun it if we needed to.

At the base of the tower, there was an open room with just a large lever in the middle. Neither of us could tell what it would do but we could find no other entrance or stairs. It took some effort but I was able to move it. It locked in place and the gate slammed shut. Steam hissed all around and the entire room began moving up. It was unnerving but I still trusted it more than magic.

The gate opened into an odd room filled with shelves and vases and dwarven chests. I found some interesting items but nothing too valuable. I opened the only door out and I was still confused. The next room contained what looked like a huge copper boiler. A ramp went up along the side so I got my sword out and slowly made my way up. My cautiousness was unwarranted as the only thing waiting at the top was a set of pedestals in front of a large dwarven puzzle, consisting of a buried sphere with supported mirrors above it.

"What in the Nines is this?" I said. "This looks more confusing than that thing Septimus was looking at in his little hidey-hole. What am I supposed to do with this thing? There isn't a door to open or a lock to pick or even a stone pillar to move. There's just buttons and mirrors."

I noticed Lydia had stopped beside me and was staring at me. "Finished?" she asked. "You sound like a beleaguered mother of ten who can't find her good cooking spoon and is sure one of her little rugrats has it."

"So what am I supposed to do with this thing, O' Genius? See? None of these buttons even work. This might not even be the right damn place."

"Calm down. What is your problem and why are you sweating? Maybe one of those falmer were diseased."

"It's hot in here, that's why I'm sweating, or haven't you noticed all the steam? Sorry, I guess this place is getting to me. I don't care for puzzles. I don't have the patience for them. I'd rather have something I could just stick my sword into."

"That much is obvious," Lydia said, not much placated by my answer. "What about that cube Septimus gave you to use? Is there anything on it?"

I smacked myself on the head then took the cube out of my pack. I turned it around but it seemed the same on all sides. "Nothing. Just etchings all around. Wait, how about this thing?"

I brought the cube over to a small stand beside the buttons with an empty square hole on its top. The cube fit right in. Suddenly the puzzle came to life. I could hear gears grinding from somewhere below.

"Look, two of the buttons are lit up now," Lydia said.

I looked at them but the only difference was the right of their pedestals. "Which one do I press?"

Lydia shrugged, "Try the bigger one."

"I knew you preferred them big," I said.

"Which could explain why we're not together."

"Nice try," I laughed, "We both know that isn't why."

I pushed the button and the rings around the buried sphere shift all at once to a new position. We waited. "Now what?" I asked.

"Push it again, see what happens."

I did so and the rings shifted again. I did it a third time to see if they returned but instead after they shifted, another button on the left lit up. Great, now I had got three to choose from. Throwing strategy to the wind, I pushed the new button. This time the mirrors above shifted. We look at each other and, since we were both clueless, I pushed the button again and the mirrors shifted again. I was about to push it a third time but Lydia stayed my arm. A beam of light bounced off of the mirrors and the last button on the left lit up. I pushed that button and the mirrors shifted so the light went away. I started cursing, wondering how to get them back the way they were. Then I noticed a cylinder being lowered from the ceiling.

"You mean I did it?" I said, "I didn't even know what I was doing."

"I knew your total ignorance of everything would come in handy one day."

"Save your sweet talk for the bedroom, housecarl. Let's grab this thing and get out of here."

On the way over to the scroll I noticed the cube was now glowing within the etched patterns and remembered Septimus swore me to bring the thing back to him. I hesitantly picked it back up. Nothing happened so I tried to give it to Lydia to carry. She said that I was the one who promised to return it so I should be the one to carry it. Coward. I put it in pack, wrapped in a linen cloth. Inside the cylinder I saw a tube with the scroll furled inside of it. I did not want to risk ruining it before I got it to Paarthurnax so I left it inside its tube and just packed it away.

"Ready to head back through the gloom?" I asked Lydia. "I don't suppose you remember the way."

"Look, over here," Lydia said, "There's another doorway and it leads to another one of those lifts."

"Let's give it a try," I said, "But if it goes down, you're going to get it."

"I'll bet you say that to all the girls."

I smiled, "As a matter of fact, I do. Let's go."

We entered the lift and I threw the lever. Thankfully as the steam hissed, the floor ascended away from Blackreach.

At the top I opened the gate to a winter gale that was blowing on the mountaintop. We walked out into an abandoned camp that I was sure we had seen before with tents set up all around. We debated for only a few moments about staying but the tents offered no protection from the elements. We headed for a lower altitude along a barely visible trail.

"So where should we go first?" Lydia asked as we slowly make our way through the rocks.

"What do you mean? We have the scroll, now we have to take it back to High Hrothgar and Paarthurnax."

"But you also swore you would return that cube to Septimus after it was altered."

"That maniacal old coot probably doesn't even remember we were there. Why should we go there first?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. Lately, I've been examining my role as housecarl and I feel I've done you a disservice."

"That's funny, I've been thinking the same thing as I've been examining you."

"Shut up and let me finish, please," Lydia said, exasperated, "I was not only assigned to aid you in your endeavors, but to also keep you focused on your duties and expectations as a Thane and representative of Whiterun. So far, I've pretty much let you run roughshod over those duties. It's time I helped you be what you were meant to be."

"I don't think I like where this is going," I said nervously. Lydia sounded way too serious.

"Which tells me I'm on the right track. Your first obligation should be to honor your sworn commitments. You told Septimus you would return with his cube, and that is what you should do. First."

"Do you know how much more walking that involves? I can't put you through that, what with carrying my burden and all."

"You have no idea. We are not too far from Whiterun, actually. We can go there, rest, then hire the carriage to take us to Winterhold, like last time. We can stop at Breezehome and unload some of our burden as well. Sound good?"

"Fine. But don't expect... hey, what's that I see?"

At the bottom of the mountain was a road with a single horse walking slowly along it. It had a saddle but no rider. I hurried to its side before it could run off.

"Destiny provides again!" I exclaimed as I swung onto the beast.

"You can start regaining your respect by finding the horse's owner," Lydia said, her hands on her hips.

"He was probably answering nature's call and got attacked by wolves or worse. You don't want to see that, do you? Well, do you? Fine, I'll look."

I turned the horse around and followed the road back but all I found were two bandits laying dead beside the road. I rode a wide circle around but find nothing and no one answered my calls. I rode back.

"Nothing but some dead bandits. Looks like Horsey here is mine. Hop on."

"That saddle is built for only one rider."

"You could ride in front of me on my lap, if you don't mind the constant bumping and grinding from me holding you close so you don't fall. Not to mention my hot breath on your neck..."

"All right, all right, you've convinced me," she said, "I'll walk."

I thought she was kidding but she started down the road headed south. I thought I was pretty convincing. Wonder what her problem was? Must be the horse.

Lydia was quite the athlete. Perhaps she got more power and stamina from her extra-full lower body than was normal. I was wisely hesitant to suggest that theory. Whatever the reason, she was able to keep up with me and my horse pretty well. It was not long before I could see Dragonsreach looming in silhouette in the distance. I encountered a wolf and I thought my horse is going to bolt so I got ready to jump. Instead it held its ground in the face of the slavering menace. I whipped my sword around and slayed the beast from the back of the horse. That was easy. The last horse I rode would have none of my weapons and I was forced to get off the animal before I could use my sword. This was much better. I decided to keep this horse for a while. I named him Stud, after myself.

Further down the road we passed in front of a farm but the road was partially blocked by a wagon with a broken wheel. It seemed to be carrying a box too large for it and the driver, some clownish character was obviously out of his element behind the reins. I barely nodded as I passed by. A moment later a rock struck me on my helmet. I cleared my sword of its scabbard and wheeled Stud around. The clown dove for cover behind the wagon, whimpering and giggling and the same time.

"Come on out, coward," I yelled, "Let's play a game of Rock-Sword-Carcass!"

"Relax, Brave Knight," Lydia said, huffing her way up to me. "I threw the rock. Where do you think you're going?"

"I was headed home until I thought I was under attack," I sheathed my sword, "Was that one of the rocks from your head, woman? Why did you hit me?"

"You see a citizen in need, do you not?" she motioned towards the fool who was peeking from between the spokes of a wheel. "As Thane you should be happy to offer your assistance."

"I would, but then he might take me up on it."

She pointed to the wagon. "Go. The Jarl is able to rescind titles as well as grant them. I don't think you want the common rabble to know you're one of them, do you?"

She had a point. I dismounted and lead Stud over to the fool. "Citizen, may I offer any assistance? You have every right to decline, if you wish."

He popped out from behind the wagon, "Well, yes!" he shrieked.  
His voice made me flinch but worse, it made Stud rear up and flail his hooves to get away. One of the hooves caught me on my left shoulder and my arm instantly went numb, causing me to let go of him. He bolted, shaking his head angrily the whole time.

"Sanguine's bent staff!" I cursed. Even Lydia put her hand to her mouth over that one.

"My apologies, my Lord," the fool said, "Cicero did not mean to inconvenience you so. A thousand pardons, oh, and you were so kind to offer to help. Oh, my mother, my mother!"

I used my healing magic on my shoulder. The pain subsided but the numbness remained making it difficult to move it around. I looked to Lydia as if to say, 'See what happens when you're nice?' then turned back to Cicero. "What's the problem, fool?"

"Stuck, stuck! And then the wheel just falls off! My mother's at rest here, yet too still now. I was taking her to her new crypt but the wheel, oh! the wheel of Fate, don't you see?"

"I'd offer you a ride into town, but you scared off Stud. Is there another way I can help?"

The fool danced a jig and clapped in merriment, "Oh my, a double tragedy! But all I need can be found up yonder. The farmer, Lorieus has the tools, but refuses to help poor Cicero! Mother! If you help me I can offer coin, pretty, shiny, jingly coin! Buy another stud, or two and we'll share! Ho, ho!"

I could not take anymore of his voice. I dragged myself up the hill to the farm, cradling my arm. I found the farmer tilling his field with a hoe. I asked him why he would not help Cicero, though I suspected I knew the answer.

"It's not about the money," he told me, "There hasn't been a jester in these parts in I don't know how long. No real reason to have one now, if you know what I mean. Why should I help such a nutters character like him. Probably been sampling whatever he's smuggling in that box of his."

I was about to order him to do it but I could almost feel Lydia's gaze on my back. What would she want me to do? "As Thane of Whiterun, I plead with you, in the name of the Jarl and for justice, to do the right thing and help a man in need."

He laughed. He laughed at me and my vision clouded with red. Lydia stepped in front of me and she handed me her steel armor, leaving herself in only a light shirt that clung to her sweaty chest.

"How about you do it," Lydia said, "so we can see how... big... a man you are?"

The farmer stopped laughing but grinned lasciviously. He stripped off his shirt and pretended not to flex as he flexed. "I guess for a man in need, it will take a real man."

"Oh, you," Lydia said as Loreius jumped over the fence and walked down towards Cicero.

I stared at Lydia, "After your little speech, you get me to act like a pompous do-gooder then when that fails you flash a little, well, those at him and it works? What am I supposed to do?"

"You did everything right. I'm very proud of my Thane. But look at his wife over there. Gahh! He was ripe to do anything for the slightest nibble of a morsel like this. Doesn't mean it'll happen, but it worked."

I stood open-mouthed and stunned. I even forgot my tingling shoulder for a moment. I followed Lydia who was walking away from the wagon, and back towards Whiterun. I would never figure her out.

Once we were far enough away from Cicero's wagon, though I could hear him talking to the farmer and the farmer yelling, I tried to hand Lydia back her armor.

"I guess I can put it back on," she said, "The cool air felt good for a change."

"Yes, it's obviously very cool," I commented. "If my shoulder wasn't still hurting, I'd gladly carry it for you just for the view."

"Pig."

"M'iaq has been called many things, but never a pig. Perhaps I need to clean myself."

Startled, I nearly dropped the armor. I looked for the voice. I had not even noticed the robed Khajiit standing alongside the road. I thought I had left him near Valtheim Keep.

"Oh, I'm sorry, M'aiq," Lydia said, "I was talking to the Thane here. Sometimes he lets things other than his brain do his thinking for him. Are you on your way to Whiterun?"

"The Jarl's armor has lots of fur. This makes M'aiq nervous." He turned away from us and remained silent. I suspected someone must have laced his catnip as a kitten.

I awkwardly helped Lydia on with her armor. "Well, nice hearing your thought, Cat," I said as we left. "I'll send your regards to the Jarl's tailor."

Lydia swatted me and we continued towards Whiterun as the stars above begin to emerge and a solitary moon rose in the East. Outside of the walls of the city I stopped at a Khajiit caravan. Lydia was right beside me the whole time so I do not even mention skooma, though it was my first thought. It might have helped the pain in my shoulder, I reasoned. Instead I sold off some of the jewelry and gems I collected going through Alftand. I had not realized how much I had found. Ma'dran was out of money and I still had half of my stuff left. If I hurried I might make it to Belethor's before he closed.

I just did make it and the few weapons and armor I took to the Drunken Huntsman by Breezehome. He was always open so I saved his shop for last. It was getting late so we had dinner at the Bannered Mare, my treat, then headed for home.

"I may have to visit the Temple of Kynareth and see Danica," I said.

"I thought you said you were tired," Lydia says, "Maybe you should just visit yourself tonight and get some rest."

"Not that kind of visit, though I wouldn't object to a helping hand. I meant for my shoulder. I've done all the healing magic I can on it but it still hurts. I don't think I can use my greatsword until it heals."

"Well, we'll see in the morning how it feels. I doubt it's anything permanent."

I agreed to give it a night but something told me this was not something that was just going to go away overnight.


	38. Days Forty and Forty-one

Day Forty

It had taken six bottles of mead to dull my mind enough for me to fall asleep. It did not matter how I slept, my shoulder hurt. When I awoke, as I feared it was no better but now it was stiff, something I normally enjoy in the morning.

Lydia joined me after breakfast to go to see Danica. The priestess tried what she knew but it made no difference. I could use my arm and my grip was fine, but I could not raise it past my chin without excruciating pain. Besides thinking this was something permanent, I wondered how I was going to continue to fight to gain dominion over the dragons and all of Skyrim. My only training had been with a two-handed sword and lately with a bow. While useful, no one was going to be quaking when I charged at them with a stupid bow and arrow. If I used a regular sword I think I could use a shield with my bad arm. It was still strong, just limited in motion. My skill with a one-handed weapon was basic at best. I would need someone to help train me so I did not get myself killed my first real fight out.

This injury threatened to put a serious crimp in my plans. I could not think straight. Maybe I should have bought some skooma, yesterday. Lydia was waiting for me to finish talking with Danica so I hurried it up and we left Whiterun. I decided to take my sword with me. Perhaps one of the mages at the college could do something, though I was loath to ask. I got the impression they knew how I felt about their kind. Except, of course, for Faralda. Maybe she would put in a good word for me.

We hired the carriage to take us to Winterhold. The driver tried to talk but I was in too foul a mood to answer civilly. Lydia glared at me but right now I could not care less. I lost myself in my thoughts and used my injured arm for the only thing it was good for now: bringing bottles of mead to my lips. By the time we reach Winterhold, night had fallen so we got a room at the inn. After dinner and I just went to bed, in pain, angry, and overwhelmed with something new to me - actual fear.

Day Forty-one

In the morning, I did not even feel like eating so I forced myself to eat a few apples and then I hurried Lydia along with her usual big meal. She wanted to go to Septimus but I would not even entertain the idea. I insisted we go to the college first to see if they could do anything for me. She was obviously not thrilled with the idea, either because of her moral sense of duty to adhere to my pledge to Septimus or, what I really thought, her jealousy of Faralda. It was a tough burden I shouldered, having most women wanting to claim me for their own, whether they openly admitted it or not. I understood and just did the best I could.

I found Faralda on the bridge once again leading to the college. I attempted just an affectionate hug but she had other ideas and nearly melted the snow where we are standing with her greeting. Afterwards, she acknowledged Lydia with a mere nod and a knowing smile.

"You've returned sooner than expected, Dragonborn," Faralda said, "A warning would have been nice, but I may be able to get the night off."

"We will definitely have to see about that, won't we?" I said cordially, "In the meantime I was hoping to speak with your Master of Healing?"

"Colette?" Faralda asked, "And what would you want with her?" The elf leaned to my ear and whispered, "Did you pick up something from your concubine? I would like to know now rather than find out later."

"No, no," I assured her, "Nothing like that." I smiled at Lydia, hoping she did not hear any of that. "I suffered an injury and I was hoping your mage could help me with it. My magic seems to be doing little to mend it."

Faralda looked stricken, "Injury? You didn't injure...?" She left the question open but glanced down.

"My shoulder, Faralda. I was struck by a horse. No something like that other thing and I would be much more despondent. Can you perhaps arrange a meeting with this Colette for me, as soon as right now? I have a dangerous mission that awaits and I am eager to fix this problem before I leave."

"I suppose. Come, she usually hangs around the Arcaneum where no one will bother her. Lets try there first."

Colette was in the library and Faralda convinced her, or threatened would be closer to the truth, to take a look at my shoulder. I remembered passing the Breton once last time I was here. Her white lips and grating voice were hard to forget.

"No one gives Restoration magic a second thought until they're hurt," Colette complained as she applieed her magic, "Then it's 'ow, ow, help, please do something.' Don't you agree?"

Her spell seemed to be doing something so I gritted my teeth and managed to say, "Of course. They're just jealous."

She was pleased with my answer and smiled when she stopped her spell, "There you go. All better?"

It did feel better. I reached back to grab my sword but when I unsheathed it, the extra weight brought the pain back and I dropped the weapon, nearly impaling the Breton's foot. I cursed so foully Colette acted as if she had to heal her ears.

"I'm sorry, Sir Dragonborn," Colette said, "That was the best possible magic. I do not think that will ever heal completely. Might I suggest you take up magic? You seem to have an aptitude for it. You could be one of us."

Lydia tackled me to the ground as I leapt for the healer's throat. Colette ran off shrieking as my housecarl roughly pinned me to the ground, using her hefty hips for balance and leverage atop my chest. If my shoulder did not feel like it was being torn out, I might actually have liked it. As it was, I was nearly tempted to shout her through the ceiling.

"Attacking the citizens of Skyrim," Lydia said, "especially ones trying only to help you is definitely not Thane-worthy."

"All right, I just lost my temper," I said, "Now let me up or slide on down and get busy. I can't breathe."

Lydia sighed with disgust then slowly released me. At least only Faralda and the Orc were witnesses to me being so unceremoniously dumped to the ground. I rubbed my other shoulder which took most of the weight of my fall. "Where's Colette?"

"She ran off, probably to get the angry Atronochs Urag spoke of before."

Instead of Atronochs, a Dunmer in fancy robes flanked by two other mages approached me. He looked at me with obvious disdain then addressed Faralda.

"One of your's, Faralda?" he asked her.

"He's a friend who was seeking healing magic from Colette," she explained, "It didn't go as well as he hoped."

"It's not her fault," I said quickly, "It's mine. I overreacted and I'd like to apologize to Colette."

"Mmm, well, Colette is recovering in my chambers. Poor dear nearly fainted before she could get up the stairs. I am Savros Aren, Arch-mage of the College and I'm afraid I must ask you to leave. Violence will not be tolerated here unless it is part of an experiment."

"We were just on our way out," I said. "Thanks for the help, Faralda."

"I'm sorry it did not work, Dragonborn," the high elf said. "Perhaps you should look into a more... suitable follower. Your protection is vital to the prophecies."

Lydia took a step towards her but I put a hand out to stop her. "Hold now, Housecarl. Violence is not our way, remember?"

Through gritted teeth, Lydia said, "As you will, my Thane."

"Good-bye, Savros," I said. "Sorry for the commotion. And Faralda, as fun as the other night was, I'll take Lydia as my companion over anyone, especially now."

I took my time leaving. From behind I caught Savros admonishing Faralda. "Really, Faralda, you must be more discerning," Savors said, "These charity cases you choose to bed get seedier every time..."

I picked up my pace as Lydia was on the verge of laughing at Faralda. Back in Winterhold I stopped in at Brina's to see if she had any weapons I can use. The only weapon she had happened to be a basic iron sword. I buy it and fixed it so it stayed in a loop at my belt. I could not go on without some sort of weapon. I told Lydia now we could go see Septimus.

We trekked back North to cross the water to Septimus' cave and I remembered the overland route we took on the way back. I followed that as closely I could but I still got impatient at a few spots and jumped into the water to take the path more directly. Once again, we encountered nothing but groups of horkers and arrived tired and wet.

Septimus was standing next to the dwarven door, running his hands over it like a pregnant woman's belly. This man needed some fresh air. I handed the cube over to him and he was like a child on his Nameday, surprised and giddy.

"Oh, I see now. The Dwemer are too clever once again for the simple human mind of Septimus. Curse my racial inferiorities!"

"Now what, Insanimus?" I asked as I tried to use my flame magic to dry my clothes.

"The cube can only be activated with the blood of all the Altmer races. I need to collect a sample of the blood from each of them and unlock the cube which will unlock the door."

"What's in there, anyway?" I asked. "Is it really worth all this trouble? Do you even know?"

Septimus turned serious and his voice grew deep. "Inside this box is the key to everything, it is the existential consciousness of the universe, the very heart of a God."

"And what do you plan to do with this... treasure?"

"To look on it will be enough to keep me busy the rest of my life. I have one more task to beg of you. Take this," the old man forces an object into my hands, "It is an extractor. Seek out the blood I need, a little from each of the Altmer races, and I will allow you to share in my discovery, the likes of which will put all other concerns to shame."

"I think I'm done..."

"We'll do it," Lydia interrupted, taking the metal tool from me. "It may take some time, however."

I gave Lydia a look which she blatantly chose to ignore. Why was she keeping me tied to this maniac?

"I have time," Septimus said, "Time to study, time to think, time to ponder what I will do when my dream is made real. Go, don't let me keep you. The Gods demand blood, blood is what they will get."

I decided to wait until we were outside to ask Lydia what she was thinking by continuing this madness. On our way out, however, the exit was blocked by a dark, wretched presence, like some abyss out of a nightmare. It spoke to me.

"Hold for a moment and bask in my glorious presence."

"He sounds like you," Lydia said to me. "Friend of yours?"

"I am Hermaeus Mora," the voice continued, "I have been watching you, Dragonborn. Most impressive. Septimus' use is coming to an end. He is boring me. Once the box is open, I will no longer have need of him."

"What's that got to do me? I wanted to be done with him today but the Helping Housecarl here had other ideas."

"When the old man is done, you will take over as my emissary. Hmm? What say you? I have skooma by the barrel and women by the beds. All for you."

"Really? I mean, never, vile demon!" I shouted, "I can't be played like some addle-brained mage who has more rhymes than reason in his speech. Be gone! I am through talking with you."

It laughed evilly. "Many have thought as you do. I have broken them all. When next we meet, I will not be so pleasant."

The presence vanished and the ladder leading out was visible again. Did everyone want a piece of the Dragonborn, I wondered? I led us back out into the fresh air.

We returned to Winterhold with no incidents to speak of and planned to have a lunch while I pondered what to do next. As soon as we got to the town, however, I was pissed.

"Where is he?" I yelled out then approached the nearest guard. "The carriage driver that was here. Did you see where he went?"

"I sure did," the guard said, "Some arrogant noble lost his horse and needed a ride to some wedding. He flashed so much coin at the driver that if he said no I would have carried him there on my shoulders."

"I told him to wait until I returned."

"Did you pay him extra to wait?" Lydia asked.

"I gave him my word as the Dragonborn that I'd pay him extra when I returned."

"The last Dragonborn took centuries to return," the guard said and snickered behind his helmet.

I so wanted to lop off the fool guard's head but I did not think I could do it with my new iron sword. Perhaps I would arrange something simpler like, say, an arrow to the knee. "Now what?" I asked Lydia.

"We could go back to the Windhelm stables and take their carriage to Iverstead."

I heaved a sigh of exasperation. "Fine, let's get going. It's already afternoon."

"What about lunch? We should eat first."

"We'll eat on the way. I'm in no mood sit and wait."

I started walking and Lydia followed but did not do so quietly. "Are you going to be like this from now on?"

"Like what?"

"This. Moody and miserable. This is Skyrim, Ralos. We've all dealt with adversity in some form. So you have to learn to fight with just one hand instead of two. Do you think you're the only one to have to do something they would rather not do?"

"Using the sword I was used to would have been the best way to ensure victory."

"You mean the easiest. Now you'll just have to do it a different way. You've still got your shouts and you can use magic if you want to. Not everyone can say that. Time to show you actually believe in this destiny you speak of instead of talking out of your ass as usual."

I dwelled on her words for a ways along the road. I was Dragonborn and I was sure I could learn to fight better than anyone using any weapon I chose. And if not, I could always shout them off a cliff or something.

"Fine," I said finally. "I'll lighten up. I'll try to find someone to give me a few pointers and while we are at Windhelm I'll find a better weapon to use and maybe a shield. Happy?"

"Your whim is my desire, Thane," Lydia said.

"I like the sound of that. Perhaps I'll put that to the test later."

"Perhaps I'll let you, but don't bet your Voice on it."

I saw a familiar building up ahead, Fort Kastav, I believe Lydia said it was. Last time we managed to kill the skeleton sentry and sneak past. Since I only had this crappy iron sword, I decided we would do that again.

"Hey, you there," a voice behind me said.

I jumped despite myself and reached behind my back for my two-handed sword, wincing in pain as I realize I could not. Lydia had her axe out immediately though. A haggard man in fur armor was standing in front of us. He shoved a shield into my hands.

"Hold this for a moment until I get back. Don't double-cross me or you'll regret it."

"Umm," is all I got out before he snuck off.

Why do people keep giving me stuff to hold? I put the shield on my back. Why the Hells would I wait for him? "Thanks for the shield, Scumbag. Let's go, Lydia."

"Maybe there is something to this Destiny stuff after all," she said.

"Why? What are you talking about?"

"Look what just happened? You have to learn to use a one-handed sword, and someone just handed you a shield, an enchanted one by the looks of it."

"See? Now you're beginning to believe, aren't you. Even the Gods want me to succeed. There's no fighting it. Play your cards right, and I may put you on my list of top choices for Empress."

"There's a list? Why not just have us wrestle for it?"

"What do you think the list is for?"

Suddenly a man ran up to us, a hunter by the looks of him. He was holding a dagger in one hand. "Have you seen a man run past here. The bastard stole something from me."

"Oh, eh, yeah," I said, "He went that way."

The hunter stalked away in the direction of the fugitive. I went the other way.

"That's probably his shield, you know," Lydia said.

"Shield? What shield? All I've got is this Righteous Barrier of Destiny. Come on, let's get going. No one's going to show up with a Sword of Brilliant Destiny so I need to go find one."

I took out the skeleton watchman again with my bow, at least I could still use that, and we crept past Fort Kastav. We followed the road to a posted road sign and took the way that pointed towards Windhelm. Not far from that I suddenly heard Alduin's distinctive roar and saw him flying overhead. It figured he would show up when all I had to fight with was a rusty iron sword. I could hear him speaking again just before I noticed the ground near the lake break open. Another dragon materialized from its burial mound and Alduin flew off, his work done here. So that was his game, still? Raise dragons in front of me to fight his battles for him? He must definitely have something to fear from me.

I saw the newly reborn dragon take flight but he did not get far before he started fighting with something that I could not see. "Let's go after this dragon while he's distracted," I said to Lydia.

"And perhaps rescue whoever is being attacked?" she said as we started running.

"Yeah, that too, I guess."

When we got close enough, we saw that the dragon was having a battle with two ice wraiths just inside the woods. I began unleashing arrows into the dragon and Lydia summoned Kynval to attack him directly. The dragon turned to face us as one of my arrows embedded itself into his head.

"Numbers matter not to Viinturuth," the dragon declared, "I will defeat you all and feast on your hearts."

"That's my line, flying lizard!" said Kynval, "You will die this day!"

The dragon flew off and I followed it with my bow. Lydia and Kynval meanwhile finish off the weakened ice wraiths. The dragon landed near me but I had the cover of a rock ledge to protect me from his breath. He tried to walk around it to hit me but only managed to catch my feet in his stream of cold. Kynval and Lydia arrived before he could fly off again. They hit him a few times and I planted a couple more arrows into him. He let out a roar of pain as one of his wings crumpled under his own weight. The ice wraiths must have damaged him more than he let on if he was already unable to fly.

I jumped on top of the rock ledge and used my fire breath shout on him. His entire body caught fire. I jumped down and soon all three of us were taking turns either avoiding his jaws or cutting into his rough hide with our weapons. My new shield did not help much against his mass. Finally his head lifted to the sky and he fell forward, his head nearly crushing me.

I absorbed his dusty soul and Lydia approached me.

"So how was it using the sword?" she asked, "Got the feel for it yet?"

"I felt I did learn something, but it was going to take some actual training for me to feel proficient with it."

"Well, I suggest you learn quickly. Alduin is obviously still watching you. He may even know about the Elder Scroll you've got, in fact it could be the reason for the attack. Maybe he even knows about your injury."

"That's just what I was thinking. I hope Windhelm has something to offer in the way of weapons. I know I can find something in Whiterun, but I was hoping not to have to go all the back there for it."

I scoured Viinturuth's bones for anything valuable, finding only a ruby and some gold, and some of my arrows. We continued to Windhelm.

It was well past dark by the time we reach Windhelm. There was a carriage at the stables but it was not the same driver that left me stranded at Winterhold. I decided against berating the driver for something someone else did, but it is tempting. Inside the walls of the city there were not many people about, suggesting the shops were probably closed. Damn Alduin. I would have made it in time if not for his ambush.

I could not help overhearing an argument in front of us. Two men were harassing a dark elf woman, calling her an imperial spy and suggesting they may pay her a visit later tonight. I heard Lydia mumble an angry curse and take a step forward but I stopped her and took the lead.

"If you boys need something to do tonight, perhaps you'd join me for some weapons practice outside by the stables? Of course I can't vouch for your safety. Accidents happen, people die, slowly, that sort of thing."

"Bah, you're not even from Windhelm," the uglier of the two said, "What do you know of our troubles? You're probably one of those Elf-lovers anyway."

"I've been known to allow the occasional elf to partake of my lover's comfort. It's like being a connoisseur of foods. The difference between red apples and green apples is subtle but a knowing tongue can tell the difference," a thought occurred to me and I turned to Lydia, "Too much?"

"Bordering."

The dark elf, mildly blushing, I think, spoke up, "Don't waste your time trying to talk to these hooligans. Windhelm is full of prejudice. I don't know why any of my kind waste their time here. If you're smart, you'll move on as well."

Both parties left us standing there before I could ask for directions. I really did not want to bother the elf, and the two men had joined a few others and were conferring quietly. That could not be good. I struck off in one direction looking for the blacksmith.

An hour later and I was completely lost in this maze of a snow shrouded city. I finally found the smithy but it had long since been closed for the night. I had a feeling this city was going to be a waste of time. With those men still walking around I did not even feel like it would be safe to spend the night here. I grabbed Lydia and we headed back out to the stables.

"Now where are we going?" she asked after the gate closed behind us. "I'm hungry and I haven't had a proper meal all day."

"I know, and I apologize, but I don't want to stay here. I get a bad feeling about this place. We'll take the carriage to Whiterun."

"Whiterun? That'll take all night."

"I've got food and you can have my blanket to sleep. I just want to be away from here and find myself a decent weapon before I'm caught lacking."

"It's all right. I'll cut you a break after standing up for that Altmer tonight. That's definitely something a true Thane would do. I'm proud of you."

"You know, that's the second time you've said you're proud of me," I said as we approached the carriage.

"Leave it to you to keep track of that. And how many times have I called you a pig?"

"You've called me a pig?"

"I should have known you were the type to hear what you want to hear."

"Why, yes, I enjoy being near your rear."

"Divines, help me, I'm in for a long ride. Wait, forget I said that. Let's just get going. All I want to do is eat and sleep."

"That's more like it. Driver! Wake up! My woman is eager for our bed! Make haste!"


	39. Day Forty-two

Day Forty-two

Lydia and I both slept on the way to Whiterun. I suspected the driver might have fallen asleep as well since we did not arrive until nearly nine the next morning. It worked out fine since we needed the sleep and nothing opened until about now anyway. I paid the driver and we headed for the city.

Unfortunately, my left arm would still only go half way up, but at least the pain was not as sharp anymore. Perhaps there was still a chance it would heal fully, though I could not wait for that to happen. Destiny awaited and this realm needed me now more than ever. Even with only one good arm I was still its best chance to defeat Alduin and bring everyone under my boo...eh, rule.

Lydia would not stop yawning and it was getting a bit distracting so I sent her off to get breakfast ready while I checked out Warmaiden's for a new sword and maybe a shield. After scouring through their inventory I was not at all pleased with their selection. I told Ulfberth as much, hoping he had something better stashed away for special customers.

The burly blacksmith folded his arms across his chest. "And I suppose you could do better, Dragon one-arm?"

"What? How did you know about my arm?"

"Ha, I don't just make weapons, I have to know how to handle them, and I've trained with some of the best, though I promised to keep their secrets to myself. I can spot an enemies weakness a mile away and as soon as you walked in I could tell your left arm was too stiff."

"A lucky guess," I said, reluctant to admit to a disability, "and I probably could make my own sword. I've done it before."

"Help yourself to my forge. Perhaps Adrienne will let you handle her tongs."

I don't know what sort of relationship the two of them had, so I left that remark alone. Ulfberth looked like the type to not know his own strength. I bid him farewell and went to Breezehome to check my inventories for any swords I may have left lying around.

Lydia was waiting with breakfast ready for the two of us, though it looked like enough for five. She had already started eating.

"Mid you fi anythig?" she asked.

"Really?" I said, "That's just gross. I think you just spit out a whole horker loaf with that question."

"Go crew your elf," she responded, still chewing.

"Whatever. Your lucky I can't understand you. Now stop chewing your cud and come help me look for a decent sword in this place."

She protested amid more curses, leading to more food flying about, but gave in and looked with one hand while still eating with the other.

We searched all the chests and end tables in the house and I could not believe I did not keep any of the swords I had found. I suppose I never thought I would need them. I kept Nettlebane and the Axe of Whiterun in the weapons rack by the door but I've never used an axe before and the dagger was sharp but ridiculously small. I did, however, find several ingots of iron and steel along with gauntlets and a necklace used to enhance smithing projects. I took these and some leather and leather straps to Arienne's forge and set about making my own steel sword.

Despite Ulfberth's attitude, Arienne was willing to offer bits of advice as I worked but mostly she just watched once she saw I knew what I was doing. I finished it off with etching 'RR' on the base of the pommel. When historians from future Ages found this sword they would no doubt realize it was a true Ralos Ravenclaw treasure from these initials. Wars might break out over it, women would plot to own it, men would die to possess it for themselves. It could not be helped. I showed it to Arienne. She shrugged. "I've seen better, some bigger, but as long as you know what to do with it, you'll be fine."

"Don't worry," Lydia said, "He gets that a lot."

They both giggled like the immature girls that they were. I shooed them aside, "Pardon me, you cackling crones, I've got a sheath to make. I can't walk around with a bare blade swinging around."

I ignored them as they started giggling all over again.

As for a shield, I remembered I kept the spiked shield I had claimed off of Umana's person down in Alftand. I used Arienne's work table to improve the fittings and she called it a Targe of the Blooded. She told me to make sure I tried to bash an opponent with it several times at once to increase their blood-letting. Sounded good. After I finished improving it, I asked her if she knew anyone who could train me in using a one-handed sword more effectively. She thought for a moment then said to find Amren, the Redguard in town. He was always boasting of his family's inherent skill with a sword and shield. I thanked her, flipped her a coin for the use of her forge, then went to look for the Redguard.

It did not take long to find him. He was standing by the well in the middle of the market area. I asked him if he had time to show the Dragonborn a few sword techniques.

"I can teach you a few things," he said, "For a price."

"You would charge the Dragonborn?"

"My family's been having some bad luck lately, ever since my father's sword was stolen."

"What if I agree to find the sword for you?"

"I've tracked it down to a group of bandits but I can't defeat them myself. If you get it back for me, I'll show you a few techniques for free. Today, however, the lessons will cost you."

I grumbled but paid him an exorbitant amount of gold for a few quick lessons. They were useful, but I still thought I should have gotten at least a discount for not only being Dragonborn but also for being Thane. I went to find Lydia and told her I had a mission to test out my new sword on. We were headed for a cave called Redoran's Retreat not far from there.

The hideout was well hidden behind an overhang of rocks. I might have passed by it but there was a red rag tied to a rock that caught my attention. I found the old wooden door for the entrance and pushed my way in.

The first thing I spotted was a dog. Great. It did not look like an attack dog but it already had its nose in the air sniffing out something. I did not want it to set off an alarm so I reluctantly nocked an arrow and let it fly. The dog yelped and went down. Damn bandits, they'll pay extra for that one.

"What was that? Is someone there?"

A man came around the corner and barely glanced down at the dog on the ground. There's caring for you. I laced the next arrow with the most toxic, pain-inducingest poison I had in my pack. I shot the arrow unerringly into his neck, enjoying the sight of it punching through and embedding into the cave wall behind him. He gurgled as his body collapsed in a shaking heap. He was so racked with pain he could not even cry out in his agony. I felt better about having to kill the dog, though it still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

I crept along the only tunnel until I got to just outside of a larger chamber. I could see fires inside but only one man pacing back and forth. I dropped some frostbite poison on the next arrow and struck him in the chest with it. It must have caught him off guard because he fell dead instantly. His falling body, however, alerted another bandit who was crouched behind a supporting rock in the middle of the room. This one was well armored in steel plate and carried a battleaxe like it was a willow branch.

"Well, well," he said in a deep, gravelly voice, "another fly in my trap. Come here!"

I ditched my bow and took my sword and shield from my hip. My shorter sword was quicker so I get the first hit in but my weapon bounced off his armor, barely slowing him. His axe, however, caught a bit of my arm as I dodged to the side. He wound up for another swing surprisingly fast and I was forced to dive further into the room to avoid it. I rolled and came up ready to block but suddenly Kynval appeared between us and the bandit chief was forced to focus on him.

"A challenger!" the dremora lord said, "Have at me, thief!"

They began a dance of steel that was entrancing to watch but I was not about to let the laughing dremora have all the glory. I ran to the chief's side and bashed my shield into him twice. He staggered and came away bleeding from several punctures in the plating on his arms. All three of us converged him simultaneously and he went down to one knee. With my quicker blade I deliverd the death blow before the others could even draw back to strike. It was a tough fight, but I did learn a few things with the sword.

"All too easy," the summons rasped then vanished.

A quick search of the cave revealed a large chest containing a sword that must be Amren's. I also found a pair of iron gauntlets that glowed with a green aura. I tried them on and my sword seemed lighter, easier to maneuver with. I kept those on. I also found a book titled 'Last Seed V.8 of 2920'. It revealed how to move without leaving a trace of a footprint. Interesting. I took it and we returned victorious to Whiterun.

As we stepped through the gates of Whiterun, the first person I saw, besides the obligatory guard with the knee problem, was Amren about to go up the steps, probably to his house. I waved him down.

"One family treasure returned," I said, "Courtesy of your friendly neighborhood Thane of Whiterun... and associates."

My associate jabbed me in the kidney and I handed over the sword.

"You... you did it. My father's sword! You took on all those bandits yourself? Well, it looks like you did, anyway," he sheathed the sword in an empty scabbard I had not noticed on him before. "Here, let me show you my father's favorite sword and shield technique, in honor of his memory."

I followed the patterns he showed as closely as possible until he was satisfied I had it down pat. I was happy with the moves as well and could not wait to try them out.

"If you have the time, and the coin, I know a few more tricks that might help you," Amren offered.

"Retrieving a family heirloom doesn't buy much these days, does it?"

"Having the sword back is one thing. The money it will help me bring in is not going to happen immediately and my family needs to eat tonight."

I glanced at Lydia and she merely raised her eyebrows. I had known her long enough to know that meant, 'What are you waiting for, you perfect specimen of manhood. Help the man, and let me see those muscles ripple.', or at least something very similar. I paid out the gold for more lessons. I got the feeling he was reaching his limit to what he could teach me, however, so that would probably be the last bit of charity I threw his way. His wife, however, could hold my interest a bit longer.

We headed to Breezehome to rest and put away the few items we found. When I went to place my new book on the bookshelf by the door, a piece of paper fell out that I missed last time. I opened it and Lydia stood on her toes to peek over my shoulder.

"Some tawdry note from a secret lover of ages past?" she asked.

"I had no idea you were such a romantic," I said, "Ever read the tales of the lusty Argonian maid?"

"Please, I think I told you before I would never read such trash."

"Then why are you blushing?"

Lydia felt her face. "I am not."

"Ah, but you thought you were, you little hussy. You've read all of them, haven't you? You can tell me, I'm the epitome of discretion."

"You're a pit of something, all right. That looks like a treasure map you've got there."

I let her change the subject and took a look at the paper. It did indeed look like a map. It showed a windmill in the foreground with a dotted line leading to an X up in the mountains. At the top were the initials, 'W.R.'. "Who do you think W.R. is?" I asked.

"That looks familiar. I know I've seen that windmill before." She pondered for a moment. "What if the W.R. isn't a person? What if it means the area below it is Whiterun? That could be where I've seen that windmill."

"Could be. Where's the closest one? We'll go take a look."

"Right outside the gates, actually, in the Pelagia farm."

We got out there and compared the drawing with the actual windmill and the resemblance is undeniable. I could not believe we actually had a treasure map just like from the children's tales my mother used to read to us before bedtime. I could tell Lydia was having fun, too. She had not even mentioned it was about time to eat lunch.

We saw a spot up in the mountains nearby that looked like a likely spot for the X to be and climbed up towards it. It did not take long before we saw the wooden chest only partially buried next to some rocks. How had nobody seen this until now? The map did not look new. I tried the lid and found it unlocked.

Lydia oohed over some nice jewelry lying inside and I told her to help herself. My eyes locked on something wrapped in an oilcloth. I was a little hesitant to unwrap it since the last time I did I ended up touching that mysterious sphere and the woman's voice spoke to me. Did I still have that? I should probably ask around about that. This thing was obviously not another sphere though. It was long and my guess it was a sword or mace. I removed the cloth and revealed a polished elven sword. Wisps of frost rose from the greenish metal as soon as I touched the pommel. I stood and swung the blade in a few practiced cuts and ripostes.

"Now you can not deny the Divines are trying to guide my hand, eh, Lydia. I need a blade and I fortuitously happen upon one this fine. It is definitely lighter than my steel one and the edge is unmarred by even a single nick. I might be the first to ever use it in a fight. Nothing quite like wetting a virgin blade, eh?"

Lydia rolled her eyes but kept any comments to herself. She went back to trying on her new jewelry.

With the chest empty I suggested we return to Whiterun for lunch and she heartily agreed. No sooner do we take two steps than a blizzard roared out of nowhere, obscuring our view of the rocks and making any descent perilous. We were forced to go towards the road where the rocky crags leveled out. As soon as we reached the road, the snow stopped, though the dark clouds remained. Perhaps the Divines were warring over the help I was receiving. I was sure there were some who were threatened by my growing influence over their interests. It could not be helped. We continued to Whiterun and even one of the guards commented on my new blade. I was sure the next bandit I met would not be so appreciative of its sharpness.

Following lunch, it was too late to go to Iverstead and climb the million steps then the mountain pass to see Paarthurnax. I decided to try out my new blade on whatever creature I come across first outside of town. I took Lydia with me and we jumped the wall outside the gate and I headed for the nearby stream. There were always mudcrabs scuttling around down there and the occasional wolf. Sure enough I found the grey, pointy-headed nuisances trying to lay in wait for us in the mud. I attacked one, trying to use my shield as well to get the feel of its weight and to try out the new maneuvers I learned today. I managed to kill one then I noticed Kynval charging in with a roar to kill the other in one shot.

"What in blazes are you doing, Lydia?" I asked my housecarl, "You're using up a staff's power on lousy mudcrabs?"

"Sorry, I forgot I had it in my hands. Honestly I don't even remember using it."

I heard Kynval trying not to laugh and when I looked at him, he was trying to avoid me seeing his face. "Hey, demon-boy, did you have something to do with this? Answer me."

The summons could not contain himself, "Bwahahaha. You weak humans have no self control. I used my influence to control her mind and cause her to summon me. My kind should not be trapped in another realm and only called upon for a few minutes of battle. I live to kill!"

"Right now you live to obey," I told him. "Do it again and I'll stash the staff away in a chest at the bottom of a lake where no one will ever call upon you. Got it?"

I saw Lydia hold the staff closer to her chest. Crap. I did not want her to think I was going to take it from her, only bluffing the demon. I would have to wait until it vanished.

"Very well, Dragonwhelp. But the Others will hear of this." He vanished with a growl and a clatter of metal.

The Others? Whatever. I told Lydia I was only threatening her summons. I had no intention of taking the staff from her. It was hers for good, to do with as she pleased. She smiled and nodded, but I did not think she entirely believed me. You would think she would trust me by now. I went back to hunting down more mudcrabs along the stream until I noticed bandits walking along the walls at Halted Stream Camp. It would seem I cleared that out for nothing. It also seemed I had a better opportunity to wet my blade and shield with some real blood. I told Lydia if she wanted to release Kynval, that she should feel free to. My mudcrab hunt was over and now the prey was more worthy, by a little. She acknowledged me and we snuck towards the camp.

As usual, I did not get very close to the camp before the archers on the wall started raining arrows down at us. At this distance, though, they are easy to dodge. I had to go up to the gate to get other bandits to come out to play. The first one to come through was a shaggy looking Nord. He started to talk bravely but stopped as soon as I bashed him in the face with my shield. He fell backwards, stopping the advance of his cohorts. I could not help but laugh as I retreated to a safer distance. I heard Lydia summon Kynval. He was unusually taciturn, instead just growling as he ran at the bandits. Distracted, I got hit by an arrow from an archer still on the wall.

"You'll pay for that, weakling!" I yelled at him and ran for the camp.

I was intercepted on the way by a female Nord with an axe. I bounced back from her first swipe but I misjudged her skill and I caught an edge of the blade on her backhand return. I was able to stop her next swing with a quick bash from my spiked shield then for good measure I bashed her again. Her resolve faltered a bit as she started bleeding from several gashes at once. Fighting against a shield that doubled as an edged weapon must be a rare thing around here. I got in one more swing from my elven blade then danced back out of her range. Her axe missed by a large margin. I was about to clash my sword against my shield to pump up my bravado but another arrow from the wall hit me in the leg. I grunted in pain and waved my sword at the archer. He gestured back.

I treated the axe-woman to a whisper of my Unrelenting Force to unbalance her, then ran in with another bash then two slashes across her chest. She went down to one knee and pleaded for mercy. I hated hearing that from bandits more and more. It was a shame so many women chose this path these days. I loomed over her and stabbed straight down into her neck. I yanked the sword out and shook off the gore. Another arrow hit me and I could feel it starting to affect me. I used my healing magic as I ran towards the camp. I noticed Lydia and Kynval wrapping up their fights. Kynval disappeared just as Lydia saw me and she ran towards the camp.

It took me a moment to find the ramp leading up to the archer. In the meantime he fired off two more arrows. I tried to block them with my shield but he was good at getting around it. I finally reached him and as he pulled out a sword for closer combat. I demonstrated for him what I could do with the shield. The spikes on the front dug deep when I threw my weight behind it as I bashed him against the rocks. He stumbled away and I struck him twice more before he could stand. Once he did, an arrow appeared in his throat and he went back down to one knee, gurgling. Before he can drown in his own blood, I kicked his sword away and grabbed his hand that had his favorite gesturing finger. It flew away over the wall and he fell backwards between the ramp and the rocks to die.

"That was gruesome," Lydia commented as I came back down the ramp.

"Gruesome and appropriate," I said, "I couldn't let him get away with such blatant disrespect to the Thane of Whiterun."

"So he knew you were the Thane?"

"It should be obvious with my regal bearing and fighting stance against banditry."

"If you say so. Are we going to into the mine as well again?"

"Of course. Bandits are like skeevers, where there's one, there's bound to more hiding."

We went into the mine and sure enough there were more bandits, though they did not prove any harder than last time, especially once Lydia summoned Kynval. He was proving to be a useful, though irritating addition. I was hoping to get more practice swings in, but I was sure I would have more chances soon.

While I scoured the mine for booty, I notice Lydia kneeling by the dead bandits with the object Septimus had given me.

"You're actually going to collect the blood for that rattle-brain?" I asked. "I would just as soon forget where he even lived."

"It is a simple enough task," Lydia said. "The blood is right here and with this wide array of bandits, all I need now is the blood of a falmer. Then he will have all he needs and can move on with his life."

"Until that demon we saw as we left kills him. Then what?"

"That's up to Septimus. When we return, we can warn him. Maybe he can do something about it."

"If we return. If."

I did not find much in the way of loot, namely two dwarven greatswords. I would not have used them anyways, too gaudy for my taste and heavy as well, but finding them made me a little bitter. I took them to sell. I could use the coins to restock my potions of healing. We left and went back to Whiterun. It was getting late so we just had a big dinner at the Bannered Mare then went to bed at Breezehome.


	40. Day Forty-three

Day Forty-three

I hoped against hope but when I awoke my shoulder was the same. The pain was nearly gone, but my range of motion was still limited. It looked like it was sword and shield for me from now on. I would have to keep my eyes open for better swords. The elven one I found was nice, but I still would like to do more damage and I did not have the skills to improve elven materials.

We had a hearty breakfast at the Bannered Mare consisting of cooked beef, cheese, and sweet rolls. We washed it down with some Honingbrew Mead then headed over to the Temple of Arkay for a blessing. The day started off sunny and warm so we started walking to Iverstead. I had waited too long already to return to the Throat of the World with the Elder Scroll.

Just past the Ritual Stone near White River Watch, we turned to the right and took the quiet mountain pass to Iverstead. I debated going the long way just to practice some more but my patience had reached its limit. I was eager to get to Paarthurnax and see if he could show me how to defeat Alduin.

At the end of the pass we walked over the small rise to the river and another troll had taken up residence where we had killed the other one. This time, however, I was ready for the troll's regeneration trait as well as his powerful arms. I stayed clear and fired arrows as he charged towards us. Lydia summoned Kynval and I used his distraction to run in with my sword and shield. Kynval's sword set the troll on fire. I bashed the beast with my shield whenever he tried to run away to recover. In no time it died and I pushed his smelly body into the river where it got stuck on a fallen tree.

We rested for a moment before heading across the bridge to the seven thousand steps. Before we got across, another troll came barreling at us, grunting and hopping.

"Didn't we just kill this guy?" Lydia asked.

"Maybe this is his brother? Or sister? Kind of hard to tell from this far."

"Why would you even want to be able to tell?"

"Well, if this is his sister, she was probably off washing dishes or something."

"Seriously?" Lydia asked, getting her axe ready as the troll neared. "Are you just trying to piss me off?"

"Maybe," I smiled, "Is it working?"

"Just when I think you've gotten better..." She left the rest unsaid and met the troll's attack head on.

Lydia's attack was furious so I guess my tactic worked. I could not use it every time, though. It would lose its effectiveness. I joined Lydia in attacking the troll and before long the beast was leaning over the side of the bridge like a late night reveler after too many sour ales.

"Two trolls?" I said, "Let's hope that's the end of it. My sword arm's already getting tired and that frost troll might still be waiting up ahead."

"Maybe he'll be off doing dishes?" Lydia said, cleaning a wound on her arm from the fight.

"She'll be off doing dishes," I corrected her. "He'll be waiting for dinner."

"Pig." She started climbing the steps.

My thoughts of a quiet walk up the steps were dashed quickly. While innocently chasing a goat, I nearly ran face first into an all white bear. I never even heard him growl until he was almost on top of me. My shout of surprise turned into an actual Shout and my Unrelenting Force lifted the bear off the ground and into the side of the mountain where he flopped around, stunned and wounded. That gave me enough time to backtrack to let Lydia catch up and together we fought the mountain creature. We eventually put him down but not before his claws ripped holes in our armor and loosened rivets that should have lasted another year. I doubted the Greybeards had a forge I could use to repair them either. We moved on.

I noticed we did not see any of the hunters or pilgrims this time. It was cold and windy but at least it was not snowing for the time being. Halfway up the steps we heard the hissing of an ice wraith and Lydia produced her staff of flames. I had forgotten she even had that, she had been using the Sanguine Rose so much. The wraith must have been susceptible to fire because between the staff and my weak attempts at using magic flames as a weapon, it died quicker than usual.

Before we could even heal from the ice wraith fight, a snow cat bounded down the steps at us. Were the Greybeards hosting a traveling zoo or something? There were not so many creatures last time. Alduin, maybe? I thought he only controlled the dragons. Anyway, the cat proved even tougher than the wraith, mainly because it will not stay in one spot. I missed with my fire breath shout. It kept moving and dodging then racing in for an attack. My shield was holding up but I was still taking damage when its claws continued down into my thighs and feet. My sword's edge was still keen but it was not doing nearly enough damage. If I had been alone, I would have been in serious trouble. As it was, I could jump in while Lydia assailed it with her battleaxe and vice versa. The cat at last succumbed to its injuries and slid down the smooth edge of the steps and over the side of the mountain.

I sat for a while to heal the scratches and gashes on my legs. Luckily, I had made sure my codpiece was reinforced when I improved the armor. Some things just demanded extra attention.

"There has to be a better sword out there for me to use," I said, "an Orcish blade maybe, or even one of those ebony swords I've heard about."

"You're doing well," Lydia said, "I'm sure Adrienne could make you something special if you ask her nicely. Or, on second thought, I'll ask for you when we get back."

"What? Are you trying to say I don't know how to be polite?"

"You can be polite, at times. It's all the other crap that flows out afterwards that you need to work on."

"Crap, huh? Fine. From now on I'll be so polite even someone like you won't be able to stand it."

"You're off to a great start. Ready when you are."

I was surprised yet relieved to discover no frost troll waiting for us where the last one had been. Perhaps the one I shouted off the mountain had been a lone recluse. I wondered if Lydia really knew how close to falling to her death she had been. She seemed to have forgotten it, but I still got chills seeing her careening out of control, grasping for a handhold. I shook off the feeling and focused on High Hrothgar now looming in the distance.

The temple seemed quieter than usual as if they were tense with anticipation. Arngeir was deep in meditation so I did not even bother with informing him I had returned. Let one of the other Greybeards do it. I was no one's charge to be kept track of anyway. I led Lydia to the rear courtyard and towards the arch leading to Paarthurnax.

"I hate walking through that mess," Lydia said, "Even after you clear it with your shout I can still feel the ice in the air stinging my face."

I reached into my pack and handed her one of the linen cloths I was using for the jewelry. "Here, wrap this around your face like a scarf."

She took it, a bit dubiously and did her best, leaving only her eyes exposed. "How's that?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"You've never looked lovlier," I said. "Ready?"

"I asked for that one. You lead, I'll follow."

Using my shouts, we headed back to the Greybeards' master along the narrow mountainside path. This time only one creature impeded our progress, a frost troll. Hopefully no one was standing around in Iverstead when the troll finally landed after I force shouted him clear of our road. I made doubly sure Lydia was nowhere near me when I did it. The rest of the way was filled with goats and moonlight.

Paarthurnax was perched on his dragonwall when we arrived. We approached and I had planned an elaborate unveiling of the artifact but the dragon beat me to it.

"You have it, the Kel, the Elder Scroll. I can sense it near. Time shudders at its touch."

"Well, you've ruined the surprise," I said, "But... here it is!" I pulled the scroll out from the top of my pack. "Maybe next time you can fly me to it, huh? That was a lot of damn walking."

"A human riding a dragon? Ridiculous. You should have grown bigger wings instead of a bigger mouth, Dovahkiin, and you could have flown."

"These aren't wings, they're arms," I said, "And I wouldn't talk about having a big mouth. I'm not the one that can bite down on a whole bear and fling him around like a sack of cabbage. In fact I think you've got an antler between your teeth. Right there... no... the other side... there, you got it."

"Thank you," Paarthurnax said, "Anyway, you are Doom-driven, the very bones of the earth are at your disposal. Go, fulfill your destiny. Take the Elder Scroll to the time wound. Be warned, Alduin will know what you are up to. Be prepared."

I looked around for something that looked like wounded time but came up empty. "Uh, Paarthy. A little help? Where was time wounded?"

The dragon rolled his huge eyes, settling on Lydia. She shrugged. "You see what I put up with every day?" she said, "Every. Day."

"Perhaps you should have been a priestess of Kynareth, with all your patience and stamina," Paarthurnax lifted his head and spit fire at a certain spot, melting the snow. "There, Dovahkiin, is the time wound."

"See, that wasn't that so hard?"

"That's what she said," Paarthurnax jested.

"Who said that?"

"Nevermind, Dovah. Go."

Senility must be settling in the dragon's mind. I stood in the burnt circle and unfurled the scroll.

The scroll came alive with glowing runes until it became a window hovering free in front of me. The runes swirled, becoming a bright center that expanded until my entire field of vision was blinded by a white light. When the light faded, the scenery had changed to show the mountaintop lit by fires and crackling lightning. It was a battle scene and a dragon was in the middle of it but it was not Alduin. He commended then chastised two warriors, telling them their fighting was futile. They claimed their right to seek freedom from Alduin's reign and backed it up with their weapons. The female warrior eventually leapt onto the dragon's head and stabbed it through the eye, killing it. I would have to remember that move.

The warrior's walked over to a third figure, a mage. It figured he would stay out of any fighting. The warrior's bragged about their number of kills while the mage, Felldir, reminded them also of their loses. The male warrior, Hakon, justified their deaths with the fact that with all the dragon losses, Alduin must come to them to fight. Then they would have him. The mage produced a scroll from behind his back, the Elder Scroll. He said he brought it despite their wishes in case Alduin proved as invulnerable as his legend proclaimed. They had no more time for debate as the female, Gormlaith, cried out that Alduin had arrived.

Alduin landed on a dragonwall. He cursed them in Dovahspeak then lifted into the air. Suddenly the three Nords in unison shouted what could only be Dragonrend at him. A blue flame burst upon Alduin and forced him to the ground like a comet pushing on his back. Once grounded, an astonished Alduin mocked their attempt to stop him and vowed vengeance on their conspirator, Paarthurnax. "My teeth in your neck," he growled.

The Nord warriors attacked with all their fury. But Alduin barely seemed to notice them. In moments he lunged forward and seized Gormlaith in his sharp teeth. He shook her back and forth, eviscerating her and snapping her spine. He tosses her aside like a straw doll into the snow.

"He is too strong," Hakon admitted to Felldir, "Our weapons do nothing. Use the scroll."

Felldir nodded then began to chant to evoke the power of the Elder Scroll. Alduin tried to stop him but could not move and Hakon did his best to harry him until it took affect. A light appears within Alduin and grew steadily larger until it enveloped him completely then suddenly it shrank to nothing, taking him with it. The mountaintop was left in silence.

"We did it," Hakon shouted, "Alduin is gone. Skyrim is safe."

"Yes, but for how long? May the Gods have mercy on our souls if he returns."

The scene ended and the Elder Scroll returned to a piece of parchment with runes of ink. I started to roll it back up into the cylinder but froze as I noticed a shadow settling over me. Alduin was hovering in the air.

"Trust me, human," Alduin said, "That was more painful than it looked. I plan to show you just how painful it was."

I switched the Elder Scroll for my sword and shield. "It's about time you stopped running from me, coward. Your minions were not up to the task of killing me. It's high time you found out why."

Alduin laughed, "My belly is full of the souls of your fellow mortals, Dovahkiin. Let the feasting begin."

The Ancient Dragon stopped hovering and flew higher to gain momentum for a diving strike.

"Use the Dragonrend shout if you know it," Paarthurnax said then took flight to meet Alduin in the air.

I searched my memory for the words of the shout. They were there but they burned differently in my mind. The others were a cool blue or a wispy white. These were glowing red. It must be my shared dragon blood that made me hesitant to use them. Alduin finally got close enough to breath his fire down on us and I had no choice but to use the shout. While in the air, he had the upper hand and could simply whittle us down until we could not recover. I aimed at him as soon as he stopped to hover then shouted. A blue, vaporous ball of energy cut through the mountain air and collided with his exposed underbelly. He reared back in pain or shock and flew off. He did not get far, however. He flew one short circle then was forced to land. The energy from the shout held him down.

"Attack him now," I yelled, "While he is vulnerable!"

Lydia summoned Kynval then switched to her battleaxe. Alduin had landed close to me but between me and Lydia. He focused his breath and jaws on Lydia and Kynval, leaving me an opportunity to strike at his side uncontested. The elven blade did little against the dragon's hide but after repeated strike, I started to see an opening in the scales. So he was not as invulnerable as everyone thought. Suddenly the energy dissipated from around Alduin and he took flight.

"Oh no you don't, Aldi," I yelled, "Get back here and fight." I shouted the words for Dragonrend again and the energy burst upon him.

Alduin roared in frustration as he was forced back down. The fight resumed but this time I got pummeled by his strong wings not once but twice and I was forced to retreat to heal. It was then I saw Paarthurnax land and breathe his fire at Alduin. Lydia resummoned Kynval. This time I stayed back and loosed some Orcish arrows from my bow. When Alduin tried to fly away, I hit him again with the shout. He fell back to the ground. This time, however, it seemed he had had enough of our tactics and used a shout of his own. The entire mountain quaked and fiery rocks began to rain from the sky. All of us took damage but we kept up the attack. I ditched my bow and grabbed my sword again. As I swiped at Alduin's side, I used my injured arm to cast my healing spell, keeping the damage from the meteors even.

We did this dance of death a few more times, each time seeming worse than the last for us. Alduin may be vulnerable, but he was far from a normal foe. I even had to hastily down a few healing potions as well as some blue magicka potions I had forgotten I had to help with my healing spell. Finally Alduin ceased his storm shout and stopped attacking. We let up for the moment as well.

"This is pointless, Dovahkiin," Alduin said. "We will finish this battle another time. Enjoy your brief stay of execution."

Alduin reared back and bowled me and Lydia over with a tremendous gust of wind from his wings. He flew off before I could shout him back to earth.

I finally managed to stand. I had to remove my helmet because it had filled with snow. I tossed it aside and ran after Alduin.

"Come back and finish this you damn dirty snake!" I yelled from the edge of the mountain. I gave him one final Dragonrend shout which just dissipated into the night.

I returned to Lydia who handed me my helmet sans snow. "I can't believe we beat back the World-eater," she said. "I thought for sure we were doomed."

"We are," I said, "Doomed to walk around this damn country waiting for him to return to us. This is bull..."

"This was a great victory," interrupted Paarthurnax.

I looked at the old dragon. He was perched on his dragonwall, glowing with a healing spell to fix his burned scales and wings. "What victory? He flew off and now he knows we have a weapon against him. He'll avoid me until he's destroyed so much of Tamriel it won't be worth ruling over."

"You must view this in the larger context, Dovahkiin. You have bloodied his snout and the other dragons will take notice. I will make sure they know of it. They will see he is not invincible and question his leadership. You have sown the seeds of dissension and that will reap benefits in the long run."

"I don't care about the long run," I said, "I want results now. I'm tired of waiting. By the time I return home to seek revenge I'll first have to remind everyone who I am. Where did he fly off to? I'm taking the fight to him, on his own land."

"His exact location is unknown to me, since I have been labeled a traitor. One of the other dragons may know, however, but he will not tell you without proper motivation."

"Motivation? Like what, a bribe?"

"I'm afraid you have nothing to offer a dragon that he could not simply take. No, but if you were to give him the choice between freedom and death, he may be willing to cooperate."

"That's the choice I'm giving to all the damn stupid dragons... uh, except you, Paarthurnax. You've been a great help. You know what I mean, the other stupid dragons."

Lydia put a hand over my mouth, "It'll be easier to get your foot out of your mouth if stop talking first. So Paarthurnax, how do we get a dragon to accept that solution?"

"Trap one. The castle in Whiterun, Dragonsreach, was built to do just that. It has an open chamber that a dragon can land in. Once inside, the trap can be set."

Lydia laughed, "Jarl Balgruuf will never allow a dragon to simply fly into the castle. He'd just as soon let Avenicci ride on his shoulders and pretend to be a dragon."

"I'd pay a few septims to see that," I said.

"The details I leave to you, Dovahkiin. Now please, I must rest from my battle. It has been a long time since I fought so fiercely."

I thanked the old dragon and we packed up our pride and returned to Iverstead


	41. Day Forty-four

Day Forty-four

The Greybeards were all asleep. How could they sleep through all that racket? Meteors and shouting and everything else? Guess they were used to it. We climbed back down the steps to Iverstead. When we got there it was early morning so we just hit the inn for some sleep. Lydia was even too tired to eat much more than a sandwich of horker loaf.

I woke later in the morning feeling like I had just tumbled down the side of a mountain. At first I wondered why but then remembered all the rocks falling from the sky and Alduin's wings and tail knocking me around and I wonder why I was not more sore. Instinctively I looked around for a bottle of skooma. It struck me as odd since I did not even think about it yesterday. That stuff must still have a bit of a hold on me. I substituted a bottle of warm ale from last night and got dressed for breakfast.

As usual, Lydia was already up and eating.

"You look like you something a draugr dug up," she said as I sat with my breakfast of ale, cheese, and ale. "Is it Day of the Dead already?"

"We can't all look as fresh as a plump tomato in the mornings, now can we?"

"Plump, huh? I'll let that pass, since it almost makes sense. Are you going to be able to make it to Whiterun?"

I chugged half my bottle, "Of course, it's just over the mountain through that cold, boring pass. We'll be there in no time."

"Let me know when you're ready," she said as she sopped up the last of her gravy with the heel of bread.

I chugged the last of my ale and belched out, "Ready!"

Lydia, as well as everyone else in the inn, gave me a look of disgust.

"I know...Piiiig," I belched out as long as it would go.

Lydia shook her head, "So long as you know."

We left the inn and headed back for the pass to Whiterun.

The mountain pass proved just as boring going to Whiterun as it was coming from the city. At the end of the pass, however, a skeever crept along the road. I put an arrow through its grey, filth-ridden body. It felt good to actually fight something and have it die the way it's supposed to. Too bad it was not a goat. I was starting to get my appetite back. We picked up our pace to Whiterun and stopped at Breezehome so we can get a snack.

We went straight to Dragonsreach to speak with Jarl Balgruuf and found him out on the great porch speaking adamantly to Avenicci.

"I'm not accusing my wife of anything," he said, "I am just curious why my children bear such little semblance to me, especially their hair."

Balgruuf's advisor smiled nervously and ran a hand over his bald head. He saw us approach and immediately called the Jarl's attention to us.

"I can tell you have much to speak with the Jarl about," Avenicci said, "I'll just return to my duties."

"Yes, perhaps that would be for the best," Balgruuf said, then turned to us. "Thane Dragonborn, you honor us with your visit. I trust Lydia has been a capable housecarl for you."

"Oh, I've no complaints," I said, "But I will be sending you a bill for the expense of her meals."

I could almost feel her eyes burning a hole into the back of my head and I knew she wanted to slug me but she would not dare in front of the Jarl. I turned to her and smiled knowingly.

Balgruuf laughed, "Yes, I remember Farengar often commenting on her insatiable appetite."

I was still looking at her when her mouth dropped open slightly. Her expression hardened and I took a step back, trying to keep the humor off my face.

"So what can I do for you, Dragonborn?"

"Actually, I'm here to do something for you. I'm here to bring an end to these pesky dragon attacks."

"You... you are? That's wonderful news. But why are you here for that? Is there something you need from me?"

"Well, yes, but... oh, nevermind. It is asking too much, even if it will end this terrible scourge of your lands."

"No, Thane Ravenclaw, please. These dragons are the worst kind of pest. Why just yesterday they burned a whole crop of royal, eh... plants, that my personal healer says are necessary for my cataracts. My wife has also developed cataracts and is quite disagreeable without her nightly pipe. So please, ask anything."

"Okay. I need to lure a dragon into the castle and trap it."

"Anything but that."

"But you just said..."

"I know what I said but what you ask is impossible. I've always known of the secret workings of this castle but I can't do it right now, not with Tullius and Ulfric chomping at the bit to get troops in here. One dragon attack and our defenses would be too weak to resist either. They would rename it Redrun from the blood pooling in the streets."

"A truce, my Lord," Lydia said. "What if they agreed to a truce so that we my deal with these dragons that are harassing all of us?"

"Hmm, a truce, you say? That would be possible then. But only the Greybeards have enough clout to oversee such a meeting. If you can get them to host it, I will consider it."

"That's the only way?" I asked.

"Unless you can end this war yourself, I see no other alternative. Get them to stop fighting, at least for now, and you may try your dragon trap. Now go, I have matters of state to ruminate over."

Balgruuf promptly sauntered off, probably to ruminate over a pipe.

I left him there and Lydia followed me out of the porch.

"What was that about?" she asked, "Why didn't you want to try for the truce?"

"I don't care about the truce part," I said, "I just don't want to walk all the way back to High Hrothgar. Maybe I'll just rent a horse or something."

"Oh no you don't. You'll be going by yourself then. I'm not walking up those steps while you ride, especially behind a horse. I'll be stepping and slipping on horse droppings all the way there."

"Fine, but I'm not going today, it's too late. We'll start early tomorrow. It'll give me a chance to practice with my sword, anyway. I'm sure we can find some more wolves or mudcrabs to hack at."

We just got to the dining hall and Lydia stopped.

"You go on ahead," she said, her voice low and steely, "I've got something to discuss with Farengar."

She left me there but I did not leave. Instead I took a seat at a table with a view of Farengar in his little office. I called a couple of the guards and the big brute, Hrongar, and Irilith over to watch as well.

"What is going on?" Irilith asked, "I thought they were broken up long ago."

"That's what Lydia said," replied Hrongar, "Turns out Farengar is merely a wet noodle in human form, if you know what I mean."

"I can't hear what it's about," I said, "But apparently Lydia took offense to Farengar's liberal use of discussing their brief time together. Uh oh, whatever he said, she didn't care for it... Ow!" Everyone present moaned and flinched. "He should have been minding her armored knee instead of her pointing finger."

Irilith laughed, "Right in the juniper berries!"

"He'll not be unsheathing anything any time soon," Hrongar joked.

Lydia left the crumpled form of the mage and ignored everyone watching and clapping as she headed for the door outside. I caught up to her, still laughing and holding my sides.

"I guess it's too late for a codpiece to be an appropriate nameday gift for our little wizard?" I said.

"_Little_ is the word for it," she said, "A clamshell half should suffice. Now lets go find some practice for your sword. I still feel like killing something."

True to her word, Lydia did indeed want to kill things. In fact she wanted to so much that I asked her to go back to Breezehome. I needed the practice but she was killing all the mudcrabs before I got in more than one shot.

On my own now, I managed to learn a few helpful techniques with my sword and my shield, even found an amethyst in one of the mudcrabs' claws. It was starting to get towards evening so I decided to head back. Within sight of Whiterun's walls, I spotted a shadow moving furtively among the rocks. I thought it was a thief so I get my sword and shield ready and limbered up my shouting voice. Sure enough, a Khajiit had his sights set on me and came running towards me. Instead of demanding money, however, he immediately started attacking. It appeared another assassin had found me.

I had no time for further thought as the cat's attacks were fierce and swift. My shield proved ineffective at blocking both his daggers and he kept moving, preventing me from connecting solidly with a bash. I inhaled and released a force shout, but he was too swift and my aim was off. It blew past him leaving him unscathed.

So far my success with a sword had relied on me being able to strike and retreat following a quick bash with my shield. This Khajiit was too nimble for that, however. Every time I tried to get some space, he quickly closed and lashed out with a flurry of furry handed daggers. One blade would strike high, the other low. I could not keep track of which hand would do which and one inevitably connected. My health was waning so I held him off for a second to chug a bottle of healing potion. I had barely done any damage to him so far. I needed an equalizer to his speed and skill.

I quickly scanned the landscape. My answer was not far off. I sprinted towards a large rock outcropping. I hoped my timing worked out as he was right behind me. I leapt over the edge of the rock. He did not follow. Perhaps he sensed a trap, but he ran down one side after me. Just as well. Once he was in front of me, I felt my Voice return and I unleashed my full shout at him.

"FUS RO DAH!"

There was no way for him to avoid it this time and his body was flung into the rocks were he bounced several times, yet miraculously held onto both his daggers. He must have been born holding those things. I laced my sword with a bottle of frostbite venom and started attacking him before he could fully stand. He amazingly did not die and tried to move but my idea about the rocks works perfectly and he could not get around me. He tried to swing at me but I bashed him with my spiked shield twice then chopped down on his helmet with all my strength. He was stunned, leaving himself exposed. I took a step back then charged in with a slash across his throat from my sword followed by a crack to his skull from the edge of my steel shield. He fell to the ground, leaving furry bits of brain clinging to the sharp rocks.

I used my healing magic before helping myself to the corpse's belongings. I emptied his pockets of valuables and found the note I expected to see. I sat on a rock and read it. Same as before. I needed to find out who this Astrid was and have a word with her. Did I say word, because I meant sword. This bitch needed to die. I cleaned my sword on the cat's fur and headed back to Whiterun. I had had enough practice for the day.

I returned to Breezehome for dinner and Lydia was appalled to see what condition my armor was in. I recounted the attack by the assassin and Lydia was ashamed of herself that she left me unprotected.

"I can take care of myself, Lydia," I said defensively, "I am the Dragonborn, you know."

"Don't get your corset in a bunch. I know what you're capable of. I was just speaking of my responsibilities. Next time, I'll be there for you."

"All right, I get it. So, housecarl, speaking of responsibilities, where's dinner?"

"I will give my life to protect you and all you own. Cook your own damn dinner, though. I already ate since you took so long to come back. See you in the morning, Thane."

I mumbled to myself, apparently too loud.

"What was that?" Lydia stopped and asked.

"Oh, I said, '_Which'_ did you have, the rabbit or the pheasant?"

"Yes."

"Of course. Good night, housecarl."


	42. Day Forty-five

Day Forty-five

I was actually able to get up before Lydia today. I kind of cheated by drinking a tankard of water for every ale I drank last night so Nature would awaken me early for relief. Either way, it worked out fine. As planned, Adrienne met me by Warmaiden's.

She was waiting for me by the forge, "I didn't think you'd come."

"That's what she said," I told her.

"What?"

"Nevermind. Something someone said to me once, guess I got it wrong. Anyway, do you have the stuff?"

"I've got it just as you ordered. Are you sure about the hips? It seems a bit... disproportionate."

"It's right, I checked it a few times just to be sure."

I paid the blacksmith and hurried back to Breezehome with my package. As soon as I put it down by the straw below the steps, Lydia came downstairs.

"I wondered why you were up so early," Lydia said after yawning cavernously. "Then I noticed through the window you and Adrienne meeting at her shop. I didn't think you were her type."

"Shows what you know," I said, "I'm every woman's type."

Lydia sat next to me at the dining room table. "Luckily I haven't eaten yet." She grabbed a green apple from a bowl and took a huge bite out of it.

"You're lucky for two reasons. Too much breakfast and you might not fit into this..." I left the table and from behind a crate came out with a set of steel plate armor and boots.

Lydia stopped in mid-chew. It took a few moments before she finally managed to talk through the food. "I don't remember us finding that."

"Find it? I bought it. That's why I met Adrienne. She finally finished it according to your, um, unique measurements."

"What's the occasion?"

"No occasion. I remembered when you found those steel plate gauntlets at that statue of Talos and put them on immediately, well those and that moonstone circlet."

"I'm Princess Moonbeam!" Lydia laughed, nearly choking on the apple. "You remembered that?"

"Well, it was a while ago. I placed the order for your armor back then. I figured you should have a decent set of armor if I have to be seen walking around with you. You can keep the regular steel helmet, though. I didn't care for the look of the one Adrienne showed me."

"I don't know what to say," Lydia said, "First the staff, now this."

"If it helps, I got you the armor strictly for appearances. Sure it'll protect you better than that old steel armor, but mostly I just wanted you to look more suited to accompanying the Dragonborn on my quest of destiny. So go try it on."

Lydia went upstairs to change and after hearing a few grunts and curses, came back down looking much more the follower of a man of legend.

"So it fits?"

"Very nicely, thank you, though it's a little tight in the hips."

"Seriously? Maybe you've got a thinner undercoat you can wear. Just check the junk in your trunk."

"It'll fit better as I wear it. Thank you again, Ralos. Ready for breakfast? My treat."

"Lead the way," I said.

Outside, I got to the street and the drunk, Brenuin approached me. "My favorite..."

"Be gone, Beggar!" yelled Lydia, her hand on the handle of her axe.

Brenuin scurried away as quickly as an old drunk could.

I turned to Lydia, "Save it for the bandits, huh?"

"Sorry. I'll behave."

"I'll believe that when I see it. Let's go eat."

After breakfast we set off for High Hrothgar once again. It was hard to believe not long ago I did not even know it existed. Now it felt like I had been there almost as much as I had been to Breezehome. I would give anything for a way to travel there fast. With my luck there would be a dragon waiting there for me every time.

I decided to take the long way around the mountain instead of through the pass. I did not feel like walking, really, but I still wanted to get more practice in with my sword if possible. Along the way, I checked the spots I remembered fighting at before. No one had returned to the Ritual Stone. The ashes of the previous skeletons still smoldered in white piles. We moved on to Valtheim Keep but that was still empty. I took a few minutes to cook up some salmon and rabbit legs I had acquired from Whiterun. Moving on past Cradlecrush Rock I finally saw some action but nothing I wanted to really get involved in.

In the midsts of the woods two mages were engaged in a fight to the death. One was using fire while the other was relying on frost. They were so intent on each other they did not even notice us watching them.

"I can see why people would like using magic," I said to Lydia. "I mean the healing spell I know has proven useful, but something must take over a mage's mind after a while."

"Why do you say that?" Lydia asked, "Not all succumb to greed and madness. Farengar, for instance. He knows some powerful magic, but he's still the same pompous ass now that he was years ago."

The mages continued to chase each other around the trees and rocks.

"I mean they keep getting more and more powerful magic then go after each other over nothing like these two," I said. "They're probably fighting over some mushrooms for a potion or a chopped up skeever tail. Uh oh, that's not good."

The mage fight was interrupted by a big brown bear taking offense at having its nap interrupted. Stupidly, the mages did not run but tried to kill the bear with their spells.

"We should probably help them," Lydia said, "It would be the Thane thing to do."

"The Thane thing to do would have been for those two morons to run their magic asses away from a bear. But they stayed. That was inthane. I hath little thympathy for two thilly mages and their lack of common thense."

"Done?"

"Thertainly," I said and unsheathed my sword. Unfortunately the mages proved little entertainment for the bear as we saw the beast walking away from the two mangled robes of what used to be mages.

"We could go after the bear," Lydia suggested.

"Anxious to try out your new armor? Well, I say we wait. He's done Whiterun a service, ridding us of those idiots. He's earned a reprieve. Let's go see if we can find a troll or something ugly like that to fight."

We reached High Hrothgar later that afternoon. Did it ever stop snowing up there? My hand nearly stuck to the door handle, it was so cold. Arngeir was sitting cross-legged just inside the door when I went in, pretty limber for such an old guy. He stood quickly and actually came over to us.

"Where have you been Dragonborn? We searched but no one could find you."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, "After we fought off Alduin we came back down but you guys were no where to be found. I had to go to Whiterun for something but now I'm back for a favor."

"Wait. What was that? You fought off Alduin? We heard the Dragonrend shouts but we did not know the outcome. When we did not see you, we assumed the worst."

"Well, you know what happens when you assume, right? Consider yourself ass out. Never underestimate the sheer awesome power of the Dragonborn of Destiny."

"My apologies, Dragonborn," Arngeir bowed deeply. "So you defeated him?"

"Huh? Well, not exactly defeated. He pulled a fast one and escaped before I could finish him off."

"I see. Perhaps your destiny will wrap itself up shortly, hmm?"

"Look, I don't see you shouting ancient dragons out of the sky you old robe wearing..."

Lydia cleared her throat behind me to get my attention. She whispered in my ear, "Remember, you need a favor from them?"

I shivered from the groin, up. "Oh, right. And what have I told you about whispering in my ear?" I adjusted my codpiece and turned back to the Greybeard. "And a nice robe it is. As I was saying, Alduin has gone into hiding and I need to find out where he's gone."

"I have no idea. Did you ask Paarthurnax?"

"Of course. He's not exactly in their inner circle anymore, you know, with that whole betrayal thing so he is not sure. What I need to do is trap one of the newly raised dragons and ask him."

"We can not help you with that. We are not permitted to use our Voice so."

"You let me worry about that. What I need from you is to help me stop this civil war."

Arngeir put his hands up, "Oh, no, we stay out of wars. Too messy."

"I'm not asking you to get your robes dirty, Ms. Greybeard. Balgruuf won't let me use Dragonsreach as long as there's a war going on. I'm sure both sides will want me to end the threat of the dragons so I need you to mediate a truce to get them to stop fighting long enough for me to do that."

"I'm not sure..."

"Eh, it was Paarthurnax' idea." I suggested.

Lydia poked me. I ignored her.

"If Paarthurnax is for it, we must help. Go tell them to come here. I'll have to get master Borri to go stock up on linen wraps and bring the matresses down from the attic."

"Do what you have to do to," I said, "We'll be back as soon as possible."

I left with Lydia but we stopped just inside the door. I had a decision to make before going out into the cold.

"Problem again, Thane?" Lydia asked, "I'll show you once more. This is a door. You grab the handle and push."

"I've got a handle you can grab. I stopped because we need to figure out which one we should get to first, Ulfric or Tullius."

"Obviously we should go to the furthest first since he will need more time to travel, assuming we can get them to come here at all."

"Of course they'll come. They can't refuse the Dragonborn. It's common sense to want to get rid of the dragons."

"I've found men and common sense don't exactly go together, and these are leaders of men which means they share a collective brain. A hundred brains into one man would be great, but usually its one brain spread out over a hundred men. All it takes is one grunt and all the others pick up on it."

"Oh, and women are so much more sensible. You'd never go to war, but every month there'll be some intense negotiations. 'I can't fight dragons today, I'm so bloated. And my shoes do not match this shield. What was the Jarl thinking with these colors?'"

"Why is there even a debate over where we go?" Lydia asked, her helmet cradled in the crook of her arm. "You know you want to go back to Solitude and look up Sayma again. Perhaps she'll actually sell you something this time instead of exchanging... services, for them."

"I can't believe you're bringing that up," I said, "How long ago was that? And I told you I didn't do anything with her."

From behind us Arngeir approached, "I'm sorry, I had no idea you two were married. Why wasn't I invited? I'd have made a special trip for the Dragonborn's wedding."

"Married?" we said together.

"I've seen what has crossed his bedsheets," Lydia said, "I'd just as soon be handled by one of the afflicted."

"Yeah, Beardo, one bearded dragon at a time is enough for me, thank you."

"My mistake," the Greybeard said. "No need to jump down my robes. Unless you want to?"

I nearly laughed until I realized he was looking at me. "We really should be going. Come along, Housecarl. Solitude it is."

At the bottom of the steps outside I peeked over the edge of the mountain. I swear I could see a familiar building down on the ground. If I was not mistaken, it was Honingbrew Meadery. That settled it.

"You can go the long way if you want," I told Lydia, "I'm going to cut half a day out of this trip and climb down the side of this mountain. I think I see Whiterun down there at the bottom."

"Oh, no, don't you go climbing down the side of the mountain. You're Dragonborn, not Goatborn."

"Whatever, I'm tired of so much walking. I need to do something different. I'll meet you at Breezehome."

Ignoring her protests, I went down the side of the mountain. It turned out to be not as precarious as it looked and there was only one part that gave me pause. When I finally jumped, it only cost me a sore knee which my magic healed nicely. I should have thought of that days ago.

As I suspected, I descended close to the meadery. I had a few drinks, got a little tipsy, then took a nap at Breezehome while Lydia took her sweet time. Despite her lengthy castigations once she arrived, she was obviously relieved that I did not end up a Dragonsmear on the jagged rocks. There was still a lot of daylight left so headed back out and went northeast again.

I tried to skirt past Silent Moons Camp but a single bandit was out by the streambed. Apparently he was trying to make some smoking device out of a mudcrab shell and a flute. He died before Lydia could catch up to help and luckily the fight did not rouse any of his fellows. Either that or they were glad to be rid of him.  
I found the trail I took last time but this time there were no mammoths in the way. I passed the Shrine to Mara and remembered there was another shrine with some nice tributes left behind. I sought that out, killing two wolves on the way. I spotted the shrine but I also spotted something else, well, someone else. M'aiq was standing near the edge of the mountain amid a small pile of swords and shields. I was in no mood for his gibbering silliness and just grabbed the stuff off the shrine, some gems and an elven bow. The bow radiated an aura that seemed to drain my magicka. Might be helpful if I encountered any mages.

I started away but two ice wolves appeared and attacked. I thought of maybe getting rid of two annoyances at once and lead them over to M'aiq. Whatever his mental state, the Khajiit was no fool, but he was no warrior either. He took off running until he was cowering on the side of the mountain where the wolves could not reach him. What a waste. Lydia and I killed the wolves and I debated shouting the shivering cat off the side. Lydia must have read my mind.

"Just let him go, Thane," she said, "He's not worth it, even as a rug."

I sighed. "Fine. Hey, Catman. It's safe to come out now."

I stalked off towards Solitude again, angry I could not deal with him better. Mages and cowards, I did not know which I loathed more.

We meandered our way through the rocks of the mountainside to Stonehills Mining camp. It was getting late so most of the activity was done for the night. A few guards were strolling around. They must have been having trouble with petty lawbreakers or something because one called me a sneakthief and another asked about someone stealing my sweetroll. Since I was just passing through, I ignored them and kept moving.

The swamp outside the camp was cold and rife with spiders. I was getting better at dodging their venomous spit but it was impossible once you got within sword striking distance. Fortunately these were the weaker variety and died quickly.

Solitude was quiet once again. The only noise seemed to be coming from an old drunk dancing outside of the Winking Skeever. It was too late to try to see the General so I decided we'll get a room and go in the morning. I tried to enter the inn but the drunk stumbled into me.

"Take it easy, Old Timer," I said to him, "You better get to bed and sleep that off before you can't go to work in the morning."

"I'm too old to work, you damn nosy fool," he threw back at me, "But not too old to drink and dance!"

He started his dance again which consisted of him holding his arms out and waving them up and down to an imaginary beat. His ale would have sloshed all over if he had any left.

"What do you call that dance?" I asked him.

"It's more for the ladies. I call it the Funbag Flop. The bigger the bags, the funner the flop." He looked at Lydia who was obviously not amused by his antics or the conversation. "Care to give it a try, my Lady. You'll have to lose the armor. That just hides the fun, and you look to be toting a lot of fun in there."

I imitated the drunk's dance, better than he could, of course. "Up for some dancing, Lydia?"

"Up for some bleeding, Ralos?"

"Come on, my funbags are more like sillypockets. You've got a whole laugh riot going on."

"Old and drunk or young and ignorant, their all still just pigs. Juvenile, rolling in their own shit pigs. I'll be inside eating."

Lydia left me outside with the old drunk and I gave him a septim for his contribution to the night's entertainment.

"I better get inside too," I said, "before she eats everything worth ordering. I'll leave the dancing in your capable hands, Old Man."

"Just as well," he said laughing, "You're going to need both hands free to handle those, eh, I mean, that one."

He cackled until he coughed uncontrollably so I left him outside. I'm sure someone nearby would help him if he started to choke.

I entered the Winking Skeever feeling like I should remember something but my last time here was a blur. I saw Lydia at a table by herself with an array of food in front of her. Hopefully, some of that was for me. I headed towards her but was stopped when a drunken Nord called out from another table crowded with other drunks.

"Hey! Look who's here! It's that fellow that thinks he's the Dragonborn."

I tried to ignore them but they looked familiar. I merely waved to them.

"Hey, buddy," the drunk continued, "Did ya remember to bring your tent with ya again?"

He and his cronies fell apart with laughter. Now I remembered. I was about to FUS-RO-DAH their whole table across the room but one of them thrust a tankard of mead into my hand and clapped me on the back. I let them have their moment and went to Lydia's table. She was too busy trying not to laugh to talk so I made myself a plate from her cornucopia of food and went to our room to eat.


	43. Day Forty-six and seven

Day Forty-six

"Where in Sovngarde have you been?" I asked.

Lydia sauntered up to me casually eating an apple. "I told you I had to go do some things and pick up some supplies."

"What took so long," I asked, standing up from the brick ledge by the ramp leading up to Tullius' headquarters. "I feel like I've been waiting here doing nothing for days."

"Oh, it wasn't that long, you big dragonbaby," Lydia turned and hurled the apple core up and over the walls of Solitude. "Ready?"

I shook my head and led the way up the ramp. I followed the big red flags to the Imperial's leader. No one stopped us all the way into the general's war room. Why would they let us have access to the Imperial's nerve center? They must recognize my noble bearing and trusting good looks. A long table sat in the middle of the room with a map of Skyrim on it. The corners were held down with skulls. Tullius turned as we entered.

"They'll let anyone into this castle...oh, hello, Lydia."

My housecarl nodded towards him, "General."

"You know each other?" I asked.

Tullius put his hands on his hips, "I taught Lydia all she knows about fighting. Then she had the audacity to run off with some fuzzy-chinned mage, Farengi, or something."

"Fartenbreath," I said.

"Farengar," Lydia corrected us.

"Yes, that's it," Tullius said, "Now I hear he's hiding with that hold-out, Balgruuf in Whiterun. What brings you two here? Eager to join the Legion?"

"You wish, Shrimpy," I said tactfully, "I believe we've met before."

Tullius squinted at me, "Have we? Oh, right. Helgen. You were mucking out the stables during that botched execution. I wish I had that doomed loser here right now I'd finish what I start..."

"That's not important right now," I said quickly, "I helped Hadvar escape and he said he would vouch for me if I came to you for something."

"Hadvar? He hasn't reported here yet. Look, I'm busy. If you're here about the stables, I'm sure Legate Rikka could find you a shovel."

"Damn your shovel, you puffed-up little old..."

"We're here with a message from the Greybeards," Lydia said.

"The Greybeards? What do those robe dragging hermits want with me?"

"They're convening a peace council at High Hrothgar," she continued. "You are invited."

"Why? I have nothing to discuss with that traitor, Ulfric."

I spoke up, "We need a truce between you two so we can deal with the dragon menace."

"They are becoming a nuisance, but they must be bothering the traitors as well. I'm here to fight a war, dragons or no dragons."

"Has that grey hair seeped into your feeble mind?" I asked.

"What he means is," Lydia said, "now that you are winning, it would be the best time to show you are not afraid of him at all and meet him on neutral ground."

"Fair enough," the general conceded, "I'll go, for all the good it will do."

He dismissed us and his legate shooed us out, angry at being ignored.

"See?" I said to Lydia, "I knew I could convince him. I have a way with people."

"You were all I expected you to be," Lydia said, "It worked anyway."

I smiled in agreement, then wondered if I just missed something.

"Let's go catch that carriage before he leaves or gets to drinking again," I said as we made our way past the Winking Skeever.

"You mean we're not walking again?" Lydia asked.

"Time is of the essence, woman. Tullius will be on the move soon and we still have to get to Windhelm and convince Ulfric to drop everything and trek up to High Hrothgar. I'd say we need as much time as possible."

"I guess."

"What's wrong? You sound unsure. Doesn't that make sense?"

"Yes, that's what's wrong. You said it and it makes sense."

I laughed as hard as I could for two seconds, just to show I got her little joke. "You know, you're right. Perhaps one of us should walk, as a show of solidarity between the two factions, to show we're not playing favorites."

"I couldn't let you do that," Lydia said, "You might run afoul of a hagraven or something similarly seductive and get yourself into all kinds of trouble... again."

I sighed, "Is it just you that never lets things go or is it all women?"

"We can discuss it on the ride to Windhelm."

"Can we? And here I was going to sleep and dream of my harem of dragonsworn dancers."

Lydia rolled her eyes and led the way to the stables.

Day Forty-seven

It was a few hours after midnight when we arrived at Windhelm and Lydia suggested we rent a room until morning and, of course, eat. I, on the other hand, thought the Jarl needed as much time as possible to decide to go and get ready. Also, the facilities were usually better outfitted with cleaner rooms and softer linen wraps.

I thought Ulfric would be asleep but it turned out he was still up talking with his right hand man, Galmar. They were the only two in the enormous hall though the dining table looked ransacked like we had missed a great feast. The Jarl remained slouched in his throne, unperturbed by two armed warriors walking up to him. I wondered why, but not for long.

"As I live and bleed for Skyrim," Ulfric said, "Is that you Lydia?"

"Hello, Ulfric," she said, "It's good to see you again."

"Wait. You know him, too?" I asked.

"Ulfric and I go back quite a ways. Don't we, Ulfy?"

"That we do, Sugarhips."

"Sugarhips?" I repeated. "Ulfric, if I wasn't destined to be a deity, I would so worship you right now."

Ulfric turned his attention to me for the first time. "I remember you, from Helgen. I see the Imperials' attempt to execute you has made you see the light of truth. Speak with Galmar, he handles recruits."

"That's not why I'm here, Ulfy," I said.

"That's too bad. I was going to let that 'Ulfy' slip pass. If you're not here to fight for us, then your transgression shall be your last. Guards!"

"I'm not here to fight because I have a message from the Greybeards."

"Hmph. It's about time they lowered their cowls and took notice of our bleeding homeland. What do they want?"

"They are negotiating a truce to allow me to deal with the dragon menace."

"You deal with them? I'll admit the dragons are becoming a boil on my backside, but unless Tullius is already going, I can not go and appear desperate for a end. Not all the Jarls are on my side yet."

"Hey, don't you think you know all that?" I said, "Short stuff's already on the way."

"Will you be there, Lydia? Perhaps we can catch up. If Balgruuf's going to be there, he always brings the best smoke. I'll be the high king one way or another."

"I'll be there," she said, "but I can't promise anything more."

"That's good enough for me. The high altitude will be good for Galmar's throat."

"If he's not with us, he's against us," Galmar said, his voice deep and gravelly.

"Yeah, Galmar, guy. You sound terrible," I said, "Have you tried some tea with some honey? Maybe some moon sugar?"

"Bah, I was born talking like this."

"Yikes. Your mother must have been quick to breastfeed you. 'Hungry!', 'O.K.,O.K., nobody gets hurt, here you go.'."

"That's it," Lydia said, "We're done here. See you at High Hrothgar, Ulfric."

"Yeah, see ya, Ulfy."

"Guards!"

I did not want to risk Ulfric changing his mind about coming so I let the guards lead me away brusquely from the throne room and to the gates. I even let Lydia get away with laughing every time the burly guard hurried me along by hitching me up higher by my belt. It was too much, however when, as I passed through the gate, Burly gave me one final kick in the ass that nearly sent me sprawling. If the gate had not closed, I would have incurred a fairly high bounty for my wanton destruction of his face. His time will come, though. Dragons never forget.

I led Lydia back to the stables to catch the carriage to Iverstead. When we got there, I found the carriage and the driver, already pounding down the ale, but something was conspicuously missing.

"Where's your horse?" I asked driver.

He belched, which I could almost smell as far away as I was. "Horshes got there needsh to ya know. I let him go to go do hish businessh at the farm up the road. Hic."

"How in Oblivion did you get drunk so fast?"

"I tell you my shecret... I'm alwaysh drunk."

The driver fell over laughing, spilling his drink on himself. I stalked away down the road.

"Now what?" Lydia asked as she caught up to me.

"What else? We walk."

"Shouldn't we wait until morning? Or at least get something to eat?"

"I'm too pissed to wait. You probably should have slept instead of flapping your gums with the driver most of the way here. As far as eating, there's snowberries every few feet. Help yourself."

"Snowberries give me the winds."

I stopped in the middle of the road. "As future ruler of Skyrim, I want to be informed of all that goes on. That being said, there's a limit to how much information I need to have. Keep that in mind, especially about what makes you fart. And stay downwind of me."

The walk along the road was quiet at night except for the howling wind and the occasional odd noises Lydia failed to completely disguise with her coughing. We encountered a few frostbite spiders and some wandering Bard dressed none too warmly for the bone-chilling temperatures. He must have been keeping his onions warm up around his stomach.

As we approached a bridge I noticed an argonian standing at one end as if waiting for us. He was in a fighting stance, bobbing slightly with his fists in front of him. He did not look too steady on his feet, either. I tried to just walk past him but that seemed only to insult him.

"So it's like that is it?" he said, his lispy voice a bit slurred. "Won't even bother to acknowledge me, eh. It's on, then."

The Argonian landed a right cross too quickly for me to dodge.

"I would think this cold weather would freeze you like a wet sock, lizard," I said and managed to dodge his follow-up swing and arm myself with sword and shield. I heard Lydia's axe slip its sheath as well.

I bashed the drunk with my spiked shield twice then carved a piece of his snout off with my elven sword. Its cold properties left a white sheen across the wound. He staggered a few steps then put his fists up again. "You don't stand a..."

His sentenced was finished by Lydia and her battleaxe. The lizardman crumpled and disappeared into the water.

"Is everyone drunk tonight?" I asked. "Did I forget a holiday or something?"

Lydia wiped her axe, "Perhaps as the mystical Dragonborn of Destiny you're just a vortex for trouble. It would explain a lot."

I thought of what she said for a moment, trying to find any bits of sarcasm, but I saw none. Perhaps she was finally coming around to see my wisdom. "You have a point. A fine observation, Housecarl. I'll make something of you yet."

"Or it could just be that people want to beat you up for being such a jerk."

"Don't be fooled, little Lydia. Jealousy takes many forms. Some people just do not know how to handle it when someone is obviously superior to them. Makes them crazy."

"I hear crazy takes many forms, too."

"You've noticed that too? Sad, really."

"Your words, O' Dragonborn."

"Let's get going," I said, "Ironically, my armor is hot, but it is not warm. Think on that, Housecarl. A bit of wisdom from yours truly."

Lydia rolled her eyes, probably deep in thought, so I took the lead.

The forces of evil were at work to try to stop me from reaching High Hrothgar again. Lydia and I were forced to tangle with two ice wraiths, two wolves, and a frostbite spider on the way up the million steps. They were no match for destiny, in fact they aided it by giving me more practice with my sword. I would have to have a talk with Balgruuf though about Lydia's behavior. There must be a manual or list of chores for a housecarl that they can not deviate from. Especially after I fought the wolves, the spikes on my shield were covered with blood, an eye, and thick chunks of wolf fur and spider spooge. I simply told Lydia it needed cleaning then had to stop her from throwing it like some flying disk off the side of the mountain. I also needed to inquire about some appropriate punishments for disobedience and sass-back. Lydia was growing a bit too independent a thinker, never a good idea for a subordinate.

"Now what are you doing?" Lydia asked as I sat down on the steps outside the keep.

"I've got a rock in my boot the size of a chicken egg." I emptied my boot of the offending object.

"That? I've got blisters bigger than that."

"I don't need to hear about your hind quarters."

"On..my..feet, from all this walking, since somebody is too cheap to actually buy horses."

"That Balgruuf is a bit of a miser. I'll bring it up after I have a serious talk with him about a certain somebody." I put my boot back on after massaging my foot.

"Ready, Princess Dragonborn?" Lydia said.

"Perhaps you'd like to keep watch outside? I hear the northern lights are fantastic from up here?"

"Ulfric is expecting me. He'll probably walk if I don't come in."

She had me there. "Of course he would. Now stop being a such a girl, you can see the pretty lights anytime. Let's go."

Inside the keep, I immediately run into Arngeir and his tight-lipped posse.

"How's it hanging, Arny?" I said.

"Gravity is a constant, remember that when you're my age. But that's beside the point. I don't know why I agreed to this. We are men of peace. Even the walls of the keep feel tainted by housing these blood-spillers."

"Don't get your beard in a knot. I'll get them to agree to a truce and then they'll be gone."

"You'll excuse me if I don't share your optimism. You know what the Nord word for war is? 'Season unending'."

"Uh, that's two words, Arny."

"It's hyphenated."

"Sure it is."

Arngeir suddenly pushed between me and Lydia. "Who invited you two?"

I turned to see Esbern and Delphine striding into the keep, decked out in their Blades armor. Damn they looked sharp, almost as good as me.

Delphine spoke first, "We have every right to be here. We used to be representatives of the Emperor himself."

"You need us here," Esbern added, "We have vital information if this is a serious discussion of dragons." Esbern sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose. "You have a dragon, don't you?"

Arngeir bristled, "He knows not to go in the keep. Very well, Blades. You may enter. I'll not be responsible for any of your blood that may be loosed from your bodies."

The Blades headed for the room. Arngeir shook his head, "This deal is getting worse all the time."

Lydia and I followed the Greybeards to get this mess over with.

We all filed into the room, each faction on either side of the table. Arngeir was at the foot and a chair was left empty for me to preside over everyone at the head of the tabel, as it should be. Already they were learning their place. Of course some of them would need more training than others.

Ulfric suddenly shouted, "Why is that Thalmor bitch here?"

"Here we go," someone said.

"She has every right to be here," Tullius said in Elenwen's defense. "She is part of the Imperial delegation. Why are the Blades here, and on your side?"

Delphine stood up. "We're here to rid Skyrim of the dragons and deserve to be here."

Tullius pointed his finger at them, "You are part of the rebel alliance and a traitor! Send them away!"

Arngeir held his arms out, "No one is bullying anyone to leave. We will let the Dragonborn decide."

I sighed, "We all knew who was going to be here. Why is everyone suddenly shocked by who showed up? We're not here to play spin the bottle or exchange recipes so everyone take a seat and act like you're here representing your people instead of just your egos."

"Well said, Ralos," Lydia whispered next to my ear. "I'm impressed."

"What did I tell you about whispering in my ear? Now I have to stay seated."

The other delegates took their seats. Ulfric stared at me then put two fingers towards his eyes then pointed them at me. Like I needed more problems. The offers and threats and insults began flying immediately. Lydia tried to keep me up to speed with what was on the table. Some of these places I had not even been to. We finally reached a compromise that no one was happy with but everyone felt they were better off than before. Whatever floated their boats, so long as I could move along with what I had to do.

"Well, that's been settled," Arngeir said, "And I didn't even have to raise my Voice."

"All that's left is to figure out how to lure a dragon into Dragonsreach," Balgruuf said. "But I suppose you, Dragonborn, already have that figured out. This was your idea, after all."

"Of course I've got it figured out," I said, "It's a little known fact that a dragon's favorite food is actually feces. That's why there are no outhouses - kept getting attacked. So I propose we tie Farengar up by his ankles and dangle him over the great porch. We all know he's the biggest sack of..."

"I think I may have a better plan," Esbern said.

I let the old man have the floor. At least Ulfric was still laughing and banging on the table.

"A dragon is too smart to fall for a simple lure, but they are also too prideful to ignore a challenge. A dragon's name is simply another word of power and if the Dragonborn were to shout a dragon's name, it would have no choice but to accept the challenge."

"I realize I've got dragonblood," I said, "But that side of the family doesn't talk to me. I don't know any of their names."

"As it happens, the Blades kept an extensive list of names back when they were in power. I've discovered one of the names is of a dragon that was recently reborn by Alduin. I believe he will come if you call him. His name, if I'm pronouncing it correctly, is Odahviing."

"I guess that might work better," I admitted, "But we could still try my idea. It would be rude to call him over and not have a snack ready."

Everyone filed out. Delphine stopped me.

"This isn't over, Ralos. Despite helping, Paarthurnax is still just a dragon. He must be killed."

"Listen, you can bat those long lashes at me and walk your little seductive walk all you want, but no one tells me what to do and no one touches old Parthy. I've got dragon in me, does that mean I should die too?"

"He's got pig in him, too," Lydia said, "Should we roast him?"

"That's different."

"You wouldn't understand," I told Delphine, "Do you have any dragon in you?"

"No."

"Do you want some?" Wink.

"Consider the Blades off limits, Dragondork, until Paarthurnax is dead. Good day!" Delphine stormed away, dragging Esbern with her.

I turned to Lydia, "Was it something I said?"

"Yes, but this time, I agree with you."

I smiled.

"But you're still a pig."

I led Lydia out of High Hrothgar, 'accidentally' bumping into Delphine on the way down the steps, nearly sending her sprawling into the snow. Amid the Blade's more lurid curses I heard Lydia chuckling so it was worth it. The other leaders seemed to be taking their sweet time returning so I jogged past them. No one had anything nice to say as I jogged past and it made me regret having dealt with the frost troll on my way up. Perhaps they would be nicer to each other if they had to team up to fight the thing.

My thoughts seemed to be answered as I spotted another troll waiting in their usual hang-out. This one was not as ugly but definitely louder and given to fits of rage, so I assumed it was the female mate of the one I dispatched earlier. I wanted to just run by it to leave for Gang Grumpy behind me but Lydia could not resist using it for target practice. She probably just wanted to break in the steel plate armor I had just given her. So be it. I used my force shout to blast the thing against the wall, being careful how I aimed it. Lydia brought out her battleaxe and I laid into it with my sword and shield. Still the thing managed to get up and rake its claws across my shoulders and neck. I bashed it then backed up to heal. Lydia kept it busy and I finished it off with a shout of my fire breath. I had almost forgotten I knew that one.

Lydia sheathed her axe and gave me a nod, "Are you all right? That thing nearly took your head off."

I rubbed at my neck which still stung a bit. "I'll be fine, my healing spell works pretty good for a non-mage. Here, help me with this troll. I've got an idea."

It took us a moment to find the right place, but once done, we were both proud of the idea. We set off back down the steps, laughing and snickering like teenagers.

By the time we reached the bottom of the steps, I was not feeling as good as I had told Lydia. Despite going downhill, I was nearly exhausted. I had to keep snacking to keep my strength up. Luckily, it was already dark so we decided to hole up at the inn for the night. I ordered some food, but even talking about it made me queasy.

"Are you feeling all right?" the innkeeper asked, "You don't look so good. Kind of like the time that family of skeevers died in our water well. I tell you the whole town fighting over the last scraps of linen cloth that week."

"I'll be all right, just go easy on the spices, huh? Nothing too fragrant."

Lydia ate her usual mound of food and I pretended to have a sore tooth and settled for mashing up my potatoes and swigging two bottles of mead. I remember telling her I was going to bed, but if I made it there myself, I could not tell you.


	44. Day Forty-eight

Day Forty-eight

I awoke but in a haze of sleep. Lydia was standing over me and shaking me, telling me to rouse myself.

"You had your chance, Housecarl," I mumbled, "Now you'll have to work for it."

I was still half asleep when I landed harshly on the floor. Although it hurt, all I wanted to do was go back to sleep. Suddenly I felt myself being lifted by my arms and deposited in a chair. A slap across my face only partially woke me.

"As much as I enjoyed that, Ralos," Lydia said, "I'd rather not have to do it again. Now wake up."

I struggled to open my eyes. I rubbed at my stinging cheek. "I'm exhausted," I muttered, "It feels like skooma withdrawal but without the headache and the skanky whore to pay off the next morning. Oh wait, you're here."

Another slap shook my head and nearly loosed a tooth. I put my hands up, "I'm joking, I'm joking."

Lydia straightened, "My first thought was brain rot, but that would be impossible to detect with you. I'd say you caught Bone Break Fever from that troll. No surprise, I doubt it's the first time you've caught something from a female."

"Probably not the last either, I might add," I said, "I'm all out of my cure disease potions. You got any?"

"No, and there's no store in this backwater town. You'll have to wait until we get to Whiterun. Think you can make it over the mountain pass?"

"I'll give it a try, since they don't have a carriage here either. Just give me a minute."

"How about another friendly slap?"

"I'll pass..."

Slap!

I held my other cheek, "I said I'll pass."

"That wasn't the friendly slap. Your jokes could use some work. I'll be outside when you're ready."

I met Lydia outside but we took a detour to the stream by Narfi's home. I shoved my head in the freezing water for a moment, making sure Lydia did not try to hold me under. The water helped a little, but not as much as the slaps. I was not about to tell her that, however. I shook the water out of my hair and took the lead back to the pass.

The troll was still gone from the overhang but after we crossed the stream using the rocks, a new menace appeared. Three glowing balls started flying around us, hissing angrily. At first I thought they were ice wraiths but I had never encountered them away from the snow. I meant to avoid them but they seemed intent on a confrontation by blocking my way then ramming into me.

"You're an expert on balls, Lydia," I said, "What are these things?"

"These are wisps, Dragonborn," she said, "And you've just earned yourself another slap. I think you're starting to like it. But these are not the real problem."

She was right as they were defeated much easier than ice wraiths. It only took a few swipes of my elven sword to destroy them. I took out two while Lydia hacked the other one to death. All of a sudden, spikes of ice came flying through the trees at her.

"There's the real problem," Lydia said, running towards a spectral woman in the trees.

It could only be a wispmother. I had never seen one before but that was all it could be. I loosed my bow while I let myself heal. I saw Lydia unleash her draemora lord, Kynval, on the being.

Between the two of them hacking at her and my bow landing precise dwarven arrows, the wispmother soon took flight, forcing us to chase after her. From out of nowhere, two other wispmothers appeared, but these were dimmer than the first and seemed more intent on getting between than attacking. Lydia and Kynval attacked these shades while I continued my assault on the original, though my arms were tiring quickly. The wispmother took flight again but even as I was about to try to pursue her, Lydia got her bow out and felled the specter with one final shot.

Kynval vanished as I caught up to Lydia.

"That was unexpected," I said, putting my bow away.

Lydia gave me another slap, this time still wearing her steel gaunlet. "Kind of like that?"

"All right, that definitely loosened a tooth."

"Perhaps I'm a tooth expert, too? I suggest you get moving if you expect any help getting through this pass."

Reluctantly I followed close, feeling I would need help before long. I found the tooth and gave it a wiggle. Yup, definitely loose. Best I kept my mouth closed for a while, for my teeth's sake.

The march through the mountain pass was arduous but the brisk wind kept me alert enough to where I did not need to lean on Lydia at all. We came out of the woods and the cold wind of the mountains turned into a hot sun once the shade of the woods was gone. I needed to cool off and refresh myself so we went past the Ritual stone to the river below. The icy water felt great but even better I spotted what looked like a shrine not far up the hill on the other side. I did not want to go into Whiterun looking dead to the world. I did have a reputation among the ladies for being healthy and virile. I told Lydia to follow me to the shrine within the shallow cave.

"A shrine to Talos?" Lydia said, "I didn't even know this was here."

"I don't care who it's for, it'll still heal me, right?"

"It should. You don't need to be..."

Suddenly the ground shook as we jogged up the hill and for a split second I thought perhaps I had insulted a deity. Then we heard the roar of a dragon and next a wave of icy frost engulfed the two of us. I did not want to be trapped within the cave so I darted to the right, though my actions were slowed even more by the attack. A blood dragon took flight and began a tight attack pattern to continue the unprovoked assault.

I reached for my bow, as did Lydia and we began firing our arrows at the moving beast.

"What are you doing?" Lydia called out as the dragon flew by, spewing ice and cold in her path. "Use the new shout you just got, the Dragonrend!"

I blamed my forgetfulness on my weakened condition. That should have been the first thing I thought of. I harnessed my bow and recalled the words, but the dragon had flown off up around the hill. I should have taken the moment to cure myself at the shrine but I did not think of it. Instead I used my healing magic as I ran to the top of the hill to bring the dragon down to earth so we could deal with it on our terms.

By the time I reached the top, I was completely healed but my stamina was depleted. I leaned over and put my hands on my knees to catch my breath. Lydia stopped beside me and tapped me on the shoulder.

"I don't think this would be the best time to take a breather," then she pointed straight ahead of us.

I looked where she was pointing and gulped in some more air, wondering if what I was seeing was real. "You've got to be kidding."

In the distance was a stone keep with crumbling, dilapidated watchtowers in front. In the open courtyard were two mages and a flame atronoch fighting the dragon I was after. At least, that's what I thought, until a second dragon dropped down directly in front of me. I started to shout the Dragonrend but was forced to stop when a gout of ice from the dragon smacked into me. I dove for cover behind a nearby rock.

"Now would be a good time for Kynval to make an appearance!" I shouted at Lydia.

Whether or not she heard me, I didn't know, but when the dragon tried to fly off I leapt from behind the rock and used Dragonrend on it. It impacted on the blood dragon's underbelly and a purple aura enveloped it. The participants of the other battle clearly took notice, especially the dragon, and stopped fighting for a moment to look. My dragon struggled but was forced to the ground.

I heard Kynval cry out with glee, "Are you prepared for your death?" He and Lydia attacked the downed dragon with fervor. It's reptilian head snapped side to side trying to grab hold of one of them, but they proved too nimble. I healed myself with one hand while I charged the dragon's flank, whistling my sword from its scabbard. I managed one hit before it tried taking flight again. I readied my shout but once again I was forced to silence myself as ice filled my mouth and eyes. The other dragon had come to its brethren's rescue. Before I could recover, both had flown off.

"A challenger!" Kynval yelled.

My eyes cleared enough for me to see the dremora lord run off to meet the mages that were now closing in on us. I secured my shield and looked to the sky to see where the dragons had circled to. A ball of fire crashed into me and I thought the mages had destroyed the dremora lord. Then I saw Kynval and Lydia trying to reach a mage. A second fireball hurtled towards me and I was able to dodge it. This time I saw it was from the flame atronoch. I quickly switched to my Drawven bow of Ice and we exchanged volleys, each of us scoring a hit.

The dragons reappeared together, this time landing side by side near Lydia and the mage. Kynval must have been destroyed and sent back. I ran to put the atronoch between the dragons and myself to give it a new target to focus on. I began healing the damage from the atronoch while I switched back to my sword. One of the dragons lurched forward and grabbed a mage in its jaws, shaking him violently before tossing back towards the keep. Good boy.

Lydia summoned Kynval again just as I shouted Dragonrend at the pair of dragons. Only one was affected, taking the brunt of the shout. The other took off, glowing red from a blow from Kynval's sword. I noticed the dragon went after the atronoch and remaining mage, however. I wished him luck.

The three of us set on the grounded dragon and managed to slay it before it could leave again. As it burst into flames, I swallowed two potions to aid my stamina and two for my health to heal the cuts I received from the dragon's wing claws. The dragon's soul filled me with the taste of blood. I barely had time to savor it before the second dragon, obviously enraged at the loss of its kin, landed nearly on top of me. His slavering jaws closed inches from my face.

I bashed the dragon with my spiked shield and its head reared back. I noticed bits of black cloth stuck to its teeth and I hoped the mage it had mangled was sweeter than I supposed. I used the staggering of the shield to maneuver out of the way of the dragon's jaws and ducked in behind its torn wing. I shouted Dragonrend again to keep it where we could get it and started swinging as quickly as possible at its leg and flank. I could hear Lydia grunting with the effort of her power strikes from her axe. Kynval was still there shouting challenges and curses. In a matter of moments, the shout faded but the dragon was too weak to fly from a myriad cuts and missing parts. I landed one final stab under its scales and into its ribcage and the dragon lifted his head to the sky. It fell dead, almost toppling onto Lydia. This dragon's soul was heavy with the taste of magicka, probably from the mage it had chewed. Its body turned to bones, lying close to its kin.

"It was a good fight," Kynval said then dissipated into thin air.

"Your summon has a knack for understatement," I said as I sat down on the ground. I heard no more sounds of fighting so I assumed the mages and their atronoch were dead. Even if they weren't, my adrenaline had run its course and I was out of stamina potions. If they wanted to fight, they would have to come to me.

Lydia was pleased, smiling broadly, "I'd say that was an excellent test of your new skills with the single-handed blade. I think this place is called Fellglow Keep. Rife with mages."

"They all suck, and I'd rather one dragon at a time, or at least when I'm not feeling completely drained. Wake me in an hour."

I laid down were I was but Lydia booted me in the leg.

"Get up, Lazybones. We're almost to Whiterun. You can heal at the Hall of the Dead then sleep in your own bed if you want. Here, I'll even help you up."

I half expected her to simply roll me down the hill, but instead she helped me rise then let me lean on her shoulder. Together we shuffled towards the neighboring farms on the way to the road.

"Does this mean you actually care?" I asked Lydia.

"Does this mean you need me?" she countered.

"Touche. We'll just keep walking together."


	45. Day Forty-nine Part One

Day Forty-nine Part One

Touching the shrine of Arkay had restored my stamina and boosted my health but I still felt too tired to do anything else except eat that night. I had gone to bed early and was surprised how late it was when I finally awoke.

I lumbered downstairs in Breezehome to find Lydia cooking up a meal over the fire pit.

Lydia noticed me and covered the simmering pot. "I was wondering if you would sleep all day. I was about to check to make sure you were still breathing."

"My entire body aches," I said as I took a seat by the fire. "I can see how Bone Break Fever gets its name. I feel like all my bones are trying to heal at once."

"It'll pass soon as you walk around. While you were sleeping I gathered the stuff we collected and sold them around town."

"Get much?"

"We made a cozy little profit, my Thane."

"Cozy?" I said, "Sounding a little too housewifey there, Lydia. Don't go getting any ideas. Us dragons have to keep our wings moving, if you know what I mean."

"Please, no one knows that better than me. I also know you need more help than I could provide. So don't get full of yourself either, Ralos. Now, are you eating or what? The Jarl wants to see you."

"Balgruuf's back? What kind of mood was he in?"

"I don't know, I talked to a messenger. The boy seemed a bit frightened, though. I suggest you eat so we can go before he sends the Guards after you."

I wanted to laugh, thinking of our little trick we left for them. I was sure Balgruuf would take it lightly. Well, I was sort of sure. I had better hurry.

We made our way to Dragonsreach which is where we were headed next anyway. Instead of Irileth stopping us, the Jarl himself came forward as we approached his throne.

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here after what you pulled," Balgruuf said.

I knew just what to say to diffuse the situation. "Huh?"

"Don't 'Huh?' me. I nearly wet myself when I hit that trip wire and that damn troll fell on me. Ugh, I can still smell it on my armor. I should have you whipped and dragged through town by your..."

"Nuts," Lydia said, "I told him he was nuts to do that to you, my Jarl." She stood next to Balgruuf.

"What?" I said, "You helped me prop it up."

"It is one thing to prank a Jarl, but then to blame it on your Housecarl," Balgruuf shook his head. "Perhaps I should rethink this whole Thane thing. In fact, get out of my castle! You are no longer permitted in Dragonsreach! Take your Destiny and shove it where the chaurus don't bite!"

My mouth fell open. How could Lydia turn on me like this? What in blazes was she doing?

Unable to contain themselves any longer, Lydia and Balgruuf burst out into laughter, clapping each other on the back and pointing at me. Soon everyone was laughing.

"Did you see his face?" Balgruuf said, tears in his eyes. "Like a cow about to meet Butcher's hammer. Priceless!"

"I'm sorry, Ralos," Lydia said, "I ran into the Jarl this morning and he convinced me to do this."

"What?" Balgruuf said, "This was your idea, woman."

Lydia shrugged, "There's enough blame to go around." She turned to me. "No hard feelings?"

I seethed yet I smiled, knowing I'd been duped. "You're so going to get it."

"You say that to all the women."

"That's beside the point," I conceded. "You should be ashamed, picking on a recently ill person."

Lydia pondered that thought. "And yet... nothing."

"Come along, Dragonborn," Balgruuf said, "Let's get on with this dragon trapping. I'm eager to see if it will actually work."

"I see how it is," I said to Lydia. "The gloves are off now, girlie."

I turned away with Balgruuf, partly so Lydia would not see me smiling.

Balgruuf summoned a few guards to follow us to the great porch. One guard, a mere whelp with more brass than brains ran ahead of us.

"Mister Thane? My name's Brett. Is it true?" the guard asked, "Are you really going to call a dragon?"

"We're not going to the porch for lemonade and moonsugar cookies, boy," I said. "If you want to see how a real man deals with a dragon, you can join us, just stay out of the way and do as your told."

The boy lost some of his enthusiasm and mumbled to himself as we went through the door, "Man, were they were right about him. What a pri.."

I missed the last word, but I assumed he said 'prince'. That boy had a bright future ahead of him. I could see him going places.

Balgruuf, the boy-guard Brett, and I ran towards the open area of the porch. I noticed Lydia slipped through the door as well before it closed. There were guards standing on either side of the room up on some balcony. For the first time I noticed the trap hanging from the ceiling. It looked like a simple wooden stockade. I had my doubts about whether or not it would hold a dragon.

"Go ahead and call this beast of yours," Balgruuf said, a tinge of fear quavering in his voice. "We're ready."

"His name's Odahviing," I said defensively.

"Whatever, Dragonborn. Just call him so we can trap this dragon."

I felt my anger rising and had to control myself from sending the Jarl into the sky with a shout. Lydia looked at me strangely and I knew it was obvious on my face. I was not sure why I felt insulted by Balgruuf's casual hatred of the dragon. Perhaps because of the Blades' threats against Parthurnaax. He would not have hurt them, but they wanted him dead. Everyone thought all the dragons deserved to die. Perhaps this Odahviing was just another pawn of Alduin. At least this time I did not want to kill the dragon. Perhaps I've been seeing this whole thing wrong...

This was no time to derail my destiny. I had to defeat Alduin first, no matter how I may evetually resolve this conflict of feelings.

"You do remember your plan to lure the dragon, yeah?" said Balgruuf.

"I'm getting to it," I said, "Don't get your balls in a gruuf."

I stepped out onto the porch and recall the shout I need. "O DAH VIING!"

The echoes of the shout dissipate. The boy walks up to me. "I could have done that. Listen to this. O-dah-viing-he-whooooo!"

He and Balgruuf got a good laugh out of that. Lydia merely shook her head. Then the boy picked his head up and stepped closer to the edge. "What was that?"

A dragon roared from behind the castle then flew in front of us. It pinwheeled suddenly then dove for the porch.

Brett threw his hands up and ran. "I was only kiddiiiiiiiii." His voice trailed away as the dragon picked him off the porch and flung him out into the open air. I was right about him going places.

Odahviing circled back around and made another pass towards the balcony. This time however, we were ready with our bows. They seemed to make little impact on his hide as he came to a stop and hovered for a moment. I was not about to let him torch the place though, so I immediately struck him with the Dragonrend shout. His head lurched back and only a spittle of flames struck the floor. He flew off even though shrouded in the aura of the shout. Moments later he realized his doom and came to a landing on the balcony.

"You will pay for this insult, Dovahkiin," the old dragon said.

"Correction, dragon, you're the one paying - with your blood. And I've got your change right here."

I charged in with my sword and shield while Lydia and Balgruuf did the same from all different angles. To his credit, Odahviing put up a good fight but between our attacks and me keeping him grounded with my shout, he eventually weakened. Since I did not want to kill him, I slid over to Balgruuf and told him to follow my lead.

I pretended to be grievously injured. "We are routed!" I cried out. "Fall back!"

Balgruuf, annoyed at not being able to finish off the dragon, complied after one more swipe of his bloodied sword. Lydia looked shocked and ran to my side as well.

"Where are you hurt?" she said as she reached my side. "I could try healing you."

"Now is not the time to profess your love for me," I said.

Lydia looked startled and at a loss for words.

"It's a ruse, housecarl, now fall back."

Lydia, her face flushed, grabbed my arm and helped me limp further back into the porch.

"You will not escape me, whelp!" Odahviing said and began crawling towards me, his jaws salivating with the anticipated grinding of my bones. His triumphant smile turned to shock as the wooden harness snapped around his neck. He tried to free himself, but the device held him in place.

I stopped and pulled free from Lydia. "Thank you, housecarl. You're quite the actress. Your concern for me almost seemed genuine."

Lydia stammered for a moment then said, "I better go check on Balgruuf while you deal with the dragon."

I wondered after Lydia. Battles did not usually faze her as much as this one did. Perhaps, like Balgruuf, she was torn by having to not kill a dragon this time. It could not be helped. Hopefully, it would not be in vain. I approached Odahviing.

As I stood in front of the fuming dragon I put my hands in front of me with my thumbs together and looked through them like a portrait frame, moving them around with Odahviing in the middle.

"What are you doing, Dovahkiin?" the dragon finally asked.

"Oh, just getting an idea of what your head would look like mounted on the wall. I'd have to make the outhouse a lot bigger, though."

"I will not justify that with a response. You went to a great deal of trouble to put me in this humiliating position, caught like a bear in a trap. You must want to know where Alduin is, or you would have killed me, hmmm?"

"The thought crossed my mind," I said, "He owes me some septims and won't pay up."

"There are those who wish to be rid of Alduin, though are hesitant to make it known. I came to your call to see for myself how your thuum measures up to his."

I smiled and placed my hands on my hips, "No doubt you have seen enough to make the only correct decision. What am I saying? Of course you have."

Odahviing's eyes looked around, "You seem to have made the decision for me. But if I tell you what you want to know, will you release me?"

"I will consider it, if I find the tone of your response agreeable. Proceed."

"Fine. Alduin's base camp is in Sovengarde where he feeds on the souls of the dead. He uses the portal in Skuldafn. I do not need to tell you, he has marshaled his forces there, just in case. Now, will you let me go?"

"I will let you go if you agree to serve me."

Odahviing chuckled, smoke leaking from his snout. "No, not until Alduin is truly defeated will any of us stick our necks out that far. But, there is more you need to know."

"Holding out on me already? Tsk, tsk."

"I merely forgot you are not familiar with Skuldafn. You will find it is quite inaccessible to someone of your ilk, unless of course you are hiding wings beneath that ridiculous armor."

"Ridiculous armor? You know, I think that trap would look nice on you as a collar. I could put little bells on it so we would know when you were sneaking around."

"All right, it is not ridiculous. It is very stylish and masculine looking. Now what if I were to agree to fly you there? Would you release me?"

"I think I could agree to that, if you promise not to aid Alduin until this is settled."

"That much I can do. Now, if you please, the gawkers are starting to appear."

Suddenly Farengar appeared behind me. "Magnificent. What a grand opportunity."

"Not now Farengar," I said, "Real men are talking here."

"Mr. Dragon," the mage said, ignoring me, "I wonder if you might indulge me in a few experiments? I'll only need a few samples from you, some scales and perhaps some blood. It will only hurt a little bit."

"The nerve of the humans," Odahviing said, "Totally out of the... mage? What are you doing back there?"

"I see an open wound, I'm just going dig out a few scales. Just hold still."

"All right. Here, you may sample this as well."

Odahviing grimaced then passed a toxic cloud of gas directly at Farengar. The mage began coughing and hacking at the putrid smell. The air was wavy all around him.

"Now for an old childhood trick," the dragon said then turned slightly and sent a spark of fire at the cloud of gas.

The stank cloud burst into flames. Farengar screamed and ran for the door, flames trailing behind from his flaming robes. Odahviing laughed, as did everyone else present. Balgruuf actually fell over onto the floor in gales of laughter.

"Odahviing, my brethren," I said, "You've just made a friend for life."

Odahviing chuckled, "I'm glad you are Dovah enough to enjoy our sophisticated humor. Now, the trap, please."

"You got it, buddy."

I ran up to the balcony to the release lever. A guard stopped me when I got there.

"Are you sure you want to do that?" he said.

"Are you sure you want to try to stop me? I think my new friend down there looks pretty hungry."

"Let him be, guardsman," Balgruuf said from below, still wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. "The Dragonborn knows what he's doing, I hope."

The guard stepped back hesitantly.

"That's what I thought," I told the guard. "You probably would've given Odahviing the White Runs anyway. A dragon's stomach is more sensitive than you think." I threw the lever and the trap sprang open.

I reached the porch and Odahviing was still stretching his long neck. "We had a deal, Dovahkiin," he said, "And I, like all dragons, am a dragon of my word. Just let me know when you are ready and we will be off. I warn you, though, you will be changed by the experience. Once your wings go flap, you never go back. You will envy us even more than you already do."

I smirked, "I can already Shout, breath fire, and light my own farts. If all you got on me is flying, I think I can handle it. Lydia, on the other hand, may have a lot to get over."

"Lydia?" Odahviing said. "The human warrior over there? She can not go with you."

"What? What are you, some kind of weak-backed wuss? You can easily take both of us. I demand that you do."

"Demand as you wish, Dovahkiin, but her fate will be sealed. Where you have to go, there is no return. If you wish her to meet her fate now and go to Sovengard, that is your choice. I did not think you to be so selfish as to feel you may do whatever you wish with another's life."

I had no response to that.

"It is something I would expect of Alduin," the old dragon added.

My first response was anger and I clenched my fists to argue the point, but he was right. I could not do this to Lydia, but I also knew she would not listen if I told her the truth. She would demand to go and I would not be able to stop her.

Lydia saw me speaking with Odahviing and started towards us. I moved to cut her off. "I'll explain it to her," I told the old dragon.

I met her half way. "I heard you need the dragon to fly us to meet Alduin," Lydia said. "It's probably best, then, I'll wait to eat."

"Yeah, about that," I said, lowering my voice, "Odahviing here is pretty old and doesn't have the stamina to go all the way."

"So you two have something in common?"

"Ha. Funny. At least, he says, not with the both us. So I'm going to have to go alone."

"Out of the question," she said, her eyes wide. "What would you do without me?"

"It's true the drone of your voice does help me sleep, and the sounds of you eating have helped me lose weight by taking away my appetite, but there is nothing to be done about it this time. I have to go after Alduin now before he knows about Odahviing."

"But what about your shoulder? Your training is incomplete with just a sword and shield."

"I think I've got the hang of it, thanks to you. I have to go, I'm sorry."

Lydia bit her lip, obviously wanting to say more. "Not as sorry as you'll be if I have to come and rescue you."

"And what will happen, woman, if I return triumphant?"

Lydia leaned forward and whispered in my ear. I managed to keep my knees from buckling, but I couldn't stop the grin. "In that case, maybe I'll..."

I whispered something in her ear. When I pulled away, her face was flushed red but she was grinning as well.

She slapped me across the face. "You're such a pig."

I laughed and quickly jumped on top of Odahviing's back, settling in near the base of his neck. "Try not to dream of me too much, Lydia. I don't want you worn out before I return."

To her credit, Lydia managed to not shed a tear. Instead she reached behind her and threw me her Sanguine Staff. "At least take this from me," she said. "And I want it back."

I caught the staff and stowed it away. I turned Odahviing towards the open air then turned to Lydia one last time. "You want it all right."

She stepped closer. "I love you."

I kicked Odahviing to get him moving. "I know."

The old dragon beat his wings twice and we were off into morning air.

The ride to Skuldafn did not take as long as I thought and not nearly as long as I wished. I would never admit to an already arrogant dragon, but once I was back on the ground, I felt like something had been taken from me.

"Welcome to Skuldafn, Dragonborn," Odahviing said. "Did you enjoy your ride?"

"It was passably tolerable, though I think my eyes will take an hour to close from the cold air freezing them open."

"So much the better. You will need your eyes open for what awaits you. I must take my leave before I am spotted but I will tell you, the door to the temple is up around the right. If you make it through, there is a dragon priest guarding the portal. He is dour and nasty, even for a priest. Good luck, Dovahkiin."

"Until we meet again, Odahviing," I said as the old dragon prepared to leave. "Tell the other dragons I will be fair so long as they know who is number one around here."

"I believe they have your number already, Dovah."

Odahviing took off and I unsheathed my sword and the staff Lydia gave me. "Lets start this off right," I said and summoned Kynval.

The Daedra Lord appeared, his sword ready to cut. "What is this place? Wait, where is Lydia, human? What have you done with her?"

"Calm down, dark and gravelly," I said, "Lydia couldn't come here so she gave me you to use. Now that I'm in control, I expect a bit more respect from you."

"You'll get whatever respect you deserve by using that sword you hold so delicately. What happened to your greatsword?"

"I hurt my shoulder."

"Aww, too heavy for little human boy?"

"It was a battle injury, hornhead, and I can hold my own with a sword and shield against any opponent."

"You mean like them?"

I looked to where Kynval pointed. Two draugr were headed towards us, their swords held high for battle.

"Yeah, like them. Now, let's get into this temple so I can move this along, unless you're afraid I'll upstage you among your undead buddies?"

"Bah," Kynval growled then ran towards the gruesome grey zombies.

These draugr turned out to not be the typical run of the mill jaw-draggers. It did not help matters that two more draugr began hitting us with arrows from further away. Then things really got heated up when a dragon swept down and began setting us on fire. I did not want to think that maybe Odahviing set me up, but the reception seemed to be ready for quite a lot.

Unfortunately for them, it still was not enough to deal with me.

The first two draugr fell, though I had to re-summon Kynval once to give the archers another target. The dragon chose to hover and spray his breath around, but that was easily evaded. The draugr archers were slightly easier to slay but then the dragon landed, blocking the way I was told to go. I kept Kynval on scene while I took my time with my bow, whittling the dragon's health down from behind a stone pillar. Finally I could tell he was weakening so I downed some invigorating vegetable soup I kept at all times and charged in with my sword and shield. His flames were a nuisance whenever bashing him did not rattle him enough to stop. He died, flopping over in what looked like a siezure until his soul's flame erupted out of him and warmed my own.

"I suppose you will do until I can be returned to Lydia," Kynval said, sheathing his sword. "Try not to get yourself killed, boy. I don't want one of these bone-shamblers getting a hold of me."

"Afraid you might like it?"

"This time, you've gone too faaaaaah."

The Draemora Lord vanished and I enjoyed the silence as I proceeded. The silence lasted only a few moments before another dragon launched into the air from a perch to my left. I noticed more draugr running towards me as well. This sucked, and here I just ticked off my helper.

My shoulder may have been injured, but my legs were just fine. I could easily outrun these pathetic corpses and I did not see the point to wasting my resources out here. I doubted there would be a trading post anywhere around to buy more potions or food. I gritted my teeth and broke into a full run towards the temple. I did not need Kynval's help to avoid the arrows that suddenly seemed to be raining down from every direction. The dragon flew up from behind me, this one's breath a frosty white. I stopped behind a pillar until he passed. His breath would not bother me much as a Nord, but it could slow me down. I took a quick look around and spotted the largest door around and ran for that one.

I ran up some broken steps where two draugr were waiting for me. I evaded their pitiful swings, though one stopped to laugh evilly at me while banging his sword against his shield. I found it insulting so I did the same back at him then followed it up with a reply of my own.

"FUS-RO-DAH!"

He and his fellow dead-boy went flying off the landing onto the ruined steps. The dragon came in for another pass but I managed to put up my shield as I walked backwards to the door. I fell through just as his breath ceased.


	46. Day Forty-nine Part Two

Day Forty-nine Part Two

The iron doors slammed shut and the silence was almost too much to bear at first. The only thing I could hear were the fires burning in braziers around some large stone obelisk in the center of the room. I could see crypts lining the walls. Hopefully these would stay intact, though the smell of living death, all dust and moldy clothes, wafted in the air. There were definitely draugr about somewhere.

I kept my sword ready in my right hand and the Sanguine staff in the other. I know the charges in the staff were limited and I was not sure how many soul gems I had to recharge it with so I would only use it if something nasty or numerous appeared.

I spotted the draugr walking around, oblivious to my presence. They seemed the simple sort so I switched to my bow to catch them by surprise. I decided to start with my orcish arrows. They were good enough for these guys. As soon as I took out the first one, however, four more appeared, and they were the more commanding type. I shouted three back into the next room then whipped out the Sanguine staff and my sword. Kynval was more than happy to set them on fire while I finished off another with my sword and shield techniques. Kynval had dropped one by the time I reached him and together we killed the other two easy enough. An alter held some coins in a bunch of urns, but nothing else really, a potion or two for stamina, that was all.

I followed some stairs upwards to another chamber. This one was dustier than the other. I could barely see the puzzle stones in the middle beneath a small arch. Beyond them I could see two closed gates. I assumed the puzzle would open the gates. Before I tried it out, though, more draugr appeared, one of them hitting me with a beam of frost. I went after him first, bashing him to stop the magic. Did he not realize I was a Nord? His frost was like a window draft to me. He was probably an idiot even when he was alive. The other draugr were not much of a challenge, though I did retreat briefly to use my magic to heal up.

The puzzle was no match for my intellect, despite what Lydia would have you believe. It turned out to be like the others, just matching the symbols on the stones with the figures on nearby plaques. I hit the lever and the gate on the right slid open. I found a chest with some gold and a healing potion. I took those then got my sword and shield before heading back to the lever. I changed the middle stone to a snake, the symbol above the other door. The other gate opened. I got down into a sneaking crouch and headed further into the temple.

I followed a ramp up to a narrow ledge. I barely had time to register that the next room was some sunken chamber before an arrow hit me in the hip. It didn't go in far but the point must have found a vein. I backed up to yank the filthy arrow out and heal up.

"So you want to play bows and arrows, huh?" I yelled out at him. I got out my bow and found a bottle of poison which I laced my arrows with. I used the ledge for cover and timed my shots in between his. His first shot must have been a fluke because the rest clattered harmlessly all around me. I waited until he went down on one knee then lined up a shot to his unprotected skull.

"When you get back to Oblivion, tell them Ralos Ravenclaw sent you... and to expect more."

The arrow caved in the side of his skull. The sunken chamber was a trap if I ever saw one. Crypts lined the walls around an alter table in the center. I could only see one exit, I thought, but it was covered with spiderwebs. I got out my sword and staff and started down the stairs.

As soon as I got to the ground, another draugr appeared from the side. I circled the table, waiting for more to bust out from the crypts, but none did. I put my staff away and with my shield to block his sword, took him out quickly. The table had little of value, as did a chest that had been stashed beneath the stairs. So far, I would have to say that Skuldafn was not impressing me with its riches. I cut through the spiderwebs and crept along slowly, suspecting what would be ahead. It did not take long to be right, as usual.

"Spiders," I whispered to myself. "Why'd it have to be spiders? I hate these things. Oh, Kynval."

I summoned the Dramora Lord. He materialized and sniffed the air. "You reek of fear, human."

"Whatever. That's lavender and juniper berry soap, I'll have you know, a proprietary blend I found at a temple of Dibella. You're probably smelling your armor. When was the last time you had that thing cleaned?"

He rolled his demonic eyes. "Was there a reason you chose to annoy me?"

"Up ahead there's some bugs I want help with."

"Bugs? That's it."

"Big bugs," I corrected, "You don't poison easily, do you?"

Kynval unsheated his sword, "Bah," he said and charged forward.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," I yelled after him then followed with my shield held high.

Creepy as they were, the spiders were not as much trouble as I anticipated. I thought Kynval's fiery sword had a lot to do with that, though one did manage to splat some poison on my arm. The hairy arachnids seemed to lose their will to fight once they caught fire. The smell of burning spider hair was even worse than roasted skeever in the narrow confines of the stairs. I counted five spiders by the time I reached another door though I was surprised that was it, considering the multitude of egg sacs all over the place. I was tempted to set them ablaze but that might have just sent thousands of little ones scurrying everywhere. The last thing I needed was to worry about any of them crawling in my ear while fighting off a draugr. I found one chest covered by a thick net of webs but it only contained a few gold coins, an iron sword, and a healing potion.

Alone again, I opened the door and caught some movement to my left. I was able to raise my shield in time to block the draugr's sword, mostly. He reeled back from the impact which allowed me to get in an extra shot from my sword. He swung again but I bashed him in the skull with my shield. I hit him twice more then suddenly felt a sharp pain in my back. I spun to see another draugr with a bow coming down a ramp. Damn cowards, shooting me in the back. I force shouted the archer into a jumble of bones then returned to finish off the first attacker. The archer was just getting his bow aligned when I swung my shield into him. I cut him down, first his leg, then a slash across his neck to send him back to rest.

The room turned out to be another puzzle. I found the lever at the top of the ramp but could not see what it would open. I figured out the symbols and got my sword out before throwing the lever. A wooden ramp fell, revealing another door. I was hoping for a chest with some decent loot for a change, but Alduin was probably keeping all the good stuff for himself. Undeterred, I moved on.  
As soon as I opened the door, a helmeted draugr standing behind another alter table hurled small ice shards at me. The ice shattered against my armor but the fragments dug like needles into any exposed flesh. I leapt over the table and used my full weight to smash into him with my shield. I had to kick him off the spikes to continue my attack with my sword. He pressed his attack with a beam of frost aimed at my head but besides freezing the snot in my nose, it did little to stop me.

I started healing what little damage was done but then arrows began hitting me from both sides. I did not even notice the two draugr pacing on a ledge above me. Sneaky little dead guys. I quickly looked around to see how to get to them, suffering more arrows in the process. I found a ramp and with one hand healing, ran towards them.

I reequipped my shield as the first engaged me at the top of the ramp. He dropped his bow but only managed to get in one meager swipe with a short sword before I sent him spinning to the lower floor. Arrows from the other archers had done more damage during the fight. He seemed inaccessible on the other side until I realized there was a passage leading to him. I reached a corner and fully healed with my dual magic. I peeked around the next corner to see him ready with another arrow. I let him fire, dodged it behind the wall, then ran at him with my sword and shield ready. Like a typical archer, he held his bow too long and only managed to get off one more arrow before I was upon him. He never even had the chance to change weapons before I left him as a pile of rotting bones on the floor.

I admit I was starting to enjoy this, feeling what could only be a sort of battle-rage. My eyes were wide as I searched out another foe to fight. My hand gripped my sword so tight it began to ache. I decided I needed to settle down. The last thing I wanted to do was rush into some blade trap or a chamber filled with mages. I sheathed my sword and returned through the tunnel. There had been a chest near the table and I had left it to deal with the archers. That would give me time to calm down and think clearly. The chest, as usual, held only a little gold and a green potion to help with stamina. I took it and went back up the ramp to see where the tunnel would lead past the last archer draugr.

My blood was still heated from fighting. I had not realized how much I had been relying on Lydia during my fights. Through all the barrows and keeps we had been through, I did not remember getting this worked up and now I think it is because she was always taking the point of the battles while I was able to pick and choose who and how I wanted to fight. I know it was part of the description of a housecarl, but looking back on it, Lydia seemed to relish her defender role. I thought of getting her a basket of sweetrolls when I got back. It was the least I could do.

Between my battle-rage and thinking of Lydia, I was too distracted and did not notice the pressure plate just inside the next doorway. Inside the small room was a spiral staircase leading up. I could smell the oil on the floor before I even entered. The pressure plate triggered a firepot to fall to floor where it bounced once then set the oil on fire. I was too far away to be hurt by it, but at the same time poison darts began pelting me from the far wall. I dove back out of the room but not before being struck several times by the darts. I laid there, feeling sick and weak. I had no potions to cure me so I was forced to stay there and let it run its course. My healing magic kept it at bay. I thought I heard draugr laughing from above.

I finally felt better so I stepped into the room, mindful of the plate on the floor. I checked a bookcase by the stairs and picked up a few more potions of healing. There was a large soul gem, but it looked empty. I could still taste the poison running through me. I had to focus and stay calm, not let my natural Nord battle-blood get too heated. Also I needed to not think of Lydia. She was just too distracting right now, especially recalling what she had whispered to me before I left. I readied my sword and shield and climbed the stairs.

At the top, a draugr came running at me from a small alcove. I also noticed two more bone-knockers still inside. I met the one's charge with my shield. His axe rang against my shield and I retaliated with a bash and a crushing blow from my elven sword. I felt two arrows hit me at the same time and realized the two shy draugr were just archers waiting to pick me off in safety. My first foe stood again so I repeated my tactic with a bash and slash and he fell inside the room. He landed with a splash and I realized the floor inside was filled with more oil. I decided to delve into my seldom used magic and sent a gout of flame into the room. The draugr archers realized they were trapped and tried to get out. I stood in the doorway and used my shield to bash them back until they finally fell apart, their skulls frozen in silent screams of death.

I looked around for the next way to go and only found a dark tunnel blocked by a locked metal gate. I didn't see a chain or anything nearby so after a quick search, decided to look inside the alcove with the toasted archers. I held my breath against the stench long enough to find a lever. I pulled it and saw through a hole the gate open for me. I quickly left, breathed in some only slightly better air, and moved on slowly.

The hallway beyond the gate was like a tunnel with tattered tapestries hanging from the ceiling every fifty feet or so. It was cold and there was a draft making the tapestries wave languidly in the dusty air. Obviously this would lead to some open area. I thought there was water on the floor so I assumed it must have rained recently and there were leaks in the ceiling. It turned out on closer inspection that the water was actually diluted oil, its smell decayed over the years like the temple's inhabitants. I was glad there was enough light so I did not need a torch. Having to mind an open fire if I was attacked would have made holding a torch... precarious, at best.

I noticed a chest out of the corner of my right eye and stopped to check it. As soon as I opened it I heard the familiar clink of a firepot releasing from the ceiling. I saw the flame bloom ahead of me and knew I was in trouble if I stayed, instantly recalling what I had just done to the draugr minutes ago. I abandoned the chest and took off running back the other way. I could feel the heat of the flames on my neck and could smell my own hair burning. I dove to the ground near the gate where it looked like the oil had stopped. I rolled painfully onto my injured shoulder and came to a stop with my back against the wall. The entire tunnel was an inferno but it dissipated quickly once the oil was burned off. Once again I was glad I did not have an injured leg, though my shoulder was once again throbbing. I picked myself up and shrugged off the pain. I needed to be more cautious. I thought I would just ignore the chests and urns from now on. They had not yielded anything worth keeping anyway.


	47. Day Forty-nine Part Three

Day Forty-nine Part Three

At the end of the long hallway I turned a corner to see an armored draugr pacing in front of another Nordic puzzle door. Great, I haven't even found one of those claws to use in it. He held a greatsword in his hands that radiated frost from its blue metal and he walked like he knew what he was doing. I pulled out my Sanguine staff and unleashed Kynval.

Immediately the draugr deathlord ran at me. Kynval blocked his first strike, giving me time to run in with my sword and shield and attack the undead from behind.

"You will die by my hand!" Kynval shouted, his sword setting the deathlord on fire.

Every time the draugr went to swing, I bashed him with my shield then hit him once with my sword of ice. The combination of ice and fire must have kept the dead warrior off-balance. He tried shouting at Kynval but it barely fazed him. We exchanged blows and just as my dramora lord disappeared, the deathlord collapsed to one knee. It took me two more strikes to finish him off. I took a moment to heal the one cut he had given me then looked around for the claw key.

There were no chests but I finally found it in the armor of the deathlord. The tips appeared to be made of diamonds. It had to be worth a fortune. Finally something worth keeping from this dank, oily stinkhole. I checked the claw for the symbols and repositioned the rings on the door. I put the claw in and the lock spun open. I pocketed the claw as the door slid down.

I proceeded cautiously into the next room. It seemed too quiet. I walked along an open hall with what looked like small thrones along the walls. I waited for something to stir in the darkness but so far there was nothing. Suddenly I heard a faint, familiar chanting. As I moved on, I saw a dragon wall loom before me. There were no crypts in front of it but that did not mean I was safe. I approached the wall to interpret the glowing word but kept my weapon ready. The wall whispered to me, "Storm call". I felt the word's power and used one of absorbed dragon souls to fully unlock its meaning. I knew now how to call forth a lightning storm with a shout, but I could tell it would leave me drained of my shout power for a while afterwards. It must be powerful to be so debilitating.

My thoughts sprang back to the present. I looked all around but still, nothing challenged me. I explored a bit but found nothing worth taking. The only oddity was a burned corpse I nearly stepped on as I approached the only door leading out. I could not tell what toasted it, but it did not bode well for what may lie beyond the door. I readied my sword and shield and opened the door.

I was assailed by fresh air. I gasped at the briskness of the chilly afternoon, or so I assumed since the grey sky blocked the sun. I heard the draugr approach before I saw them. One charged from the left, another from the right. To the right seemed more defensible with a hill of rumble to dance around so I went after that one first. His first swing missed as I stopped short and backed away. I force shouted at him and watched his skeletal body go tumbling off the edge of the stones and fall away down to the ground.

I turned to face the next draugr but instead caught a face full of ice as a dragon appeared above me. I recognized it as the one I evaded earlier. I must have come out of the temple just at a second level. Then the draugr caught me with his axe before I could raise my shield to block. I decided I needed some breathing room and ran past the dead warrior, jumping over the rubble to buy myself an extra few seconds. I downed two healing potions then whipped out my Sanguine staff. I summoned Kynval and he appeared just in time to run interference with the draugr.

The dragon reappeared, laying down a sheet of ice in front of me but I evaded it and got my bow out. As it flew off, I concentrated on the draugr fighting Kynval. My arrows combined with the Dramora lord's fiery blade took him out slowly but surely. The dragon landed as the draugr finally fell. Kynval ran after him as I started letting loose with my arrows. The dragon's breath stopped the demon and caused him to wink back to oblivion. I saw another draugr holding a bow appear next to the dragon. I decided to try out my new shout.

"Strun!"

No sooner had the word of power left my lips than thunder rolled across the clouds and bolts of lightning crashed down into the dragon and the draugr. The dragon did not advance but kept trying to hit me with his breath. The draugr was shaken by the strike and took a few seconds to recoup. In the meantime, I sent a few orcish arrows into him while sidestepping the dragon's attack. A few seconds later another bolt came from the sky and the draugr was sent to his knees. The dragon glowed for a moment then breathed more frost at me. I sent one more arrow at the draugr and he collapsed against the wall. After more lightning hit the dragon, he started to move towards me. I summoned Kynval back to take the brunt of the attacks while I continued to ply my bow, though my orcish arrows were nearly depleted.

Finally I could tell the dragon was struggling so I joined Kynval and together, our swords felled the grey beast. I saw no more draugr except a few down below but I did not think they could reach me.

I rounded a corner and saw a flame of pure energy rising to the sky at the top of some stairs.

"This must be where the dragon priest that Odahviing told me about is," I said to Kynval.

"A dragon priest?" he said, "Then this must be your fight alone."

"Aww, scared of a dead mage in a robe? I'm sure his mask is verrry scarrry."

"Enough with your patronizing, dragonfool. Dragonpriests are known to take control of thralls. And as much as I would love to twist my blade through your insides, that would ensure I never leave here. My only chance to return to Skyrim and all its fun is to go back with you, so I dare not remain. If you fail, I will find you..." the demon faded away with his threat.

"Eh, who needs him?" I said, "How hard can a priest be to kill?"

Despite my confidence, Kynval's reluctance to get involved with the dragonpriest gave me pause enough to take some precautions. Since no one was harassing me where I was I decided to wait until my shout power was restored. In the meantime I took stock of what I had and made a plan. Once I was ready, I got out my bow and crept up the steps. The energy rising into the sky was emanating from a circular pit behind a small raised platform. That must be the portal to Sovengarde. The dragonpriest floated at the top of the stairs to the platform, his bony arms outstretched. His back was to me. So far, so good.

I laced my orcish arrow with a paralysis poison I had come across. It was a long shot but I recalled the first deathlord I fought in Bleak Falls Barrow was susceptible to it. I drank a potion labeled True Shot that I thought I 'borrowed' from the elf, Faendal in Riverwood. I unwrapped a small bowl of vegetable soup and warmed it with a flicker of my flames magic. It seemed to always help keep my strength up. I could have swallowed it cold but, what am I, a barbarian? I crept as close as I dared then let the arrow fly. It hit its mark exactly where I intended, in the priest's neck. He flinched but did not go down. So much for paralyzing him. I let another arrow go before he spotted me then charged in with my sword. As I ran, I also downed a bottle of the nasty regeneration potion I got from the Greybeards. It was as prepared as I could manage. With all this going for me, how could I not win?

I flew up the stairs and landed a clean shot to his chest. My elvish sword barely bit into his gold scaled armor. I tried to follow up with my shield but he floated back too far out over the pit of energy. That was not fair.

"Your kind has no place here, flesh-bag," the priest hissed. "My name is Nahkriin, and you will learn why it means 'Vengeance'!"

The dragonpriest raised his staff and from it a wall of lightning sprang out and enveloped me. I felt the electricity in places I had no right to feel it in. I thought parts of my armor even fused together. I half jumped, half fell from the steps. My hands remained coordinated enough for me to find the biggest bottle of healing I could find and I gulped it down quickly. With all the potions I had just swallowed, that last shock threatened to make me lose control of my suddenly full bladder. I needed a different tactic. He would finish me off for sure before my sword even cut through his fancy armor.

Let's see if he could take what he dished out. I shout for another storm then decide to use the only weapon I had to keep a distance from his staff. I get out my trusty bow and hoped that elf's potion was still working.

Nahkriin floated down behind the stairs and I used the barrier to run for cover. The sky turned black and I saw lightning flash down where he was. At least that was working for me. The walls around the portal had small dividers that offered a little cover but if the dragonpriest decided to come after me, I would be a sitting skeever. Instead, I went back a little ways to the top of the first set of stairs. An ice spike slammed into my back and immediately I was forced to slow down as I felt my skin burned with the cold. If I was not a Nord, I'd probably have fallen over dead as a handsome Dragonsicle. I quickly put my bow away and started healing with both hands as I made it to the stone pillar I had seen on my approach. I healed as much as I could before my magicka ran out. At least my hands had stopped shivering. I reequipped my bow. I only had a few orcish arrows left but it seemed as though I had over a hundred steel arrows in my quiver. As long as I did not miss too much and he did not get me cornered with his magic, I may be able to pull this off. Of course, I was sure this guy has not lasted for centuries without being able to piece this together as well.

I peeked around the pillar to get a bead on him. The lightning was still striking him as he floated out by the steps, slowly approaching me. An ice shard sped past my face, then another crashed against the stone I was hiding behind. I had to be quicker than ever in my aiming. He was not about to let me line up a perfect shot. I did not have much room either behind me to just walk back and forth. The fall from the ledge may kill me if I was not at full health. Another thing to keep in mind. I could barely see him waiting for me to show myself. I waited for the lightning and as soon as it struck him, I lined up my first shot and let it fly. It struck him in the foot and he instantly responded with two more ice shards. Both missed. He flew more to the side to try and get a clearer angle for his powerful magic. He was toying with me, but as long as I could use my cover, I had a chance.

The battle was long and frustrating for both of us. My arrows hit only half the time. He kept far enough away to where he was able to dodge them. The lightning storm I shouted ended and it seemed to be taking forever for my dragon voice to return. Meanwhile, he kept trying with his ice spikes but only managed to hit a few times, despite floating all around. He must not trust his armor too much since he did not attempt to flush me out. That was fortunate since my healing potions were running low. My arrows were also down by half and the true shot potion was long gone.

By the time I was able to shout another storm, Nahkriin appeared to be weakening. I just hoped he was not able to heal himself. His actions became quicker and he began floating closer, taking more shots at me.

He finally floated further away, behind the steps. This was my chance. I downed another horrid regeneration potion, my last, and another bowl of soup. I also found another potion in the bottom of my pack that was labeled 'heavy armor help'. I drank that too then stalked after Nahkriin with my sword and shield ready.

He was ready for me as well and launched his spikes in my path. I dodged as best I could and closed on him quickly. I bashed him to keep him from using his magic then laid into him with one power strike after another. If it was not for his metal mask, I think I would have enjoyed seeing fear on his face. I shouted a Nord war cry for Sovengarde and landed one more blow that shattered his hold on this realm. He spun away then vanished, leaving only his armor and his staff behind.

The fatigue of the battle hit me and I fell sideways against the wall. I slid to the ground and sat, too tired to move. I had not realized how close I had come to dying. I healed myself then wondered what I had to do next. At some point during the fight, the portal had closed so the spout of energy was gone. Perhaps Nahkriin had something on him to open it, a key maybe, or perhaps I'll need to bleed on it again like at the Blades' keep.

I roused myself from the ground and sifted through Nahkriin's remains. I took his mask. It would look great on my wall in Breezehome, or maybe I would use it to scare the fondue out of Farengar. There was also a nice pile of gold and the staff. I was hesitant to touch it, but then I noticed the end of it was scraped up pretty good. Nahkriin obviously didn't use it for support since he floated around like some creepy king of the fairies. I took it to the seal but did not see anything for it. I remembered when I approached he was on the stairs above the seal so I checked up there and found a small hole. I placed the staff in the hole and the stone seal cracked and glowed. Then the pieces fell inward, releasing the plume of iridescent energy. I could almost hear voices, thousands, perhaps millions, of them, speaking from the portal. Some laughed, others cried, all of them beckoned me to enter Sovengarde.

Now was not the time to lose my nerve. There were people waiting for me and I had a destiny to fulfill. The people of Skyrim needed a real leader and to be saved from the scourge of Alduin. They, of course, needed me. I took a few steps back then jumped into the portal.


	48. Sovngarde

Sovngarde

I did not know how long the trip through the portal took, but I did seem to have more growth to my beard than when I left Skuldafn. One thing that had not changed was my urgent need to relieve myself. I barely had time to unleash the Dragonwyrm before it was too late. As I waited, I passed the time trying to recall the time in the portal. I remembered seeing people, shades of their former selves, floating about on unseen currents of time. They were lost and searching for the way here. One even tried to grab my ankle, a warrior, but her etherial hand passed through me, leaving only a chill and a memory of her death in battle. She died bravely and would surely find her way here.

"You have to leave. Don't let him find you."

I jumped, nearly spraying on myself, at the sound of a voice. I looked over at a Stormcloak standing just below on the steps.

"Damn it, man," I cursed at him, "Can't a person have a moment of peace even in the land of the dead?"

"You can not be caught out here. Alduin will devour your soul."

"Well, he'll have to wait. There's no stopping the song once the one-eyed bard gets to singing."

Once I was done, I joined the soldier and for the first time took a look around. I was still on the top of a long stone staircase and despite the darkness, I could make out several towering statues along the sides. I assumed they were heroes of ages past. I wondered if the person who made them was still here. I was willing to stay long enough to pose for my own in order to insure he captured my likeness to a tee.

"Now then," I said, "You said Alduin is about?"

"He is out hunting for souls to feed his appetite. With each soul his power grows. Soon he will be unstoppable."

"Yeah, I've heard that before, from Alduin himself, no less. I didn't believe it then after I sent him fleeing with his tail between his legs, and I don't believe it now. I'm here to kill that puffed-up lizard so if you can point me in his direction, I'd appreciate it."

"You don't sound like the others here," the soldier said, "You even look different. You should head to the Hall of Valor. There you will find others who speak as you do."

"You mean there are others as brave as I?"

"Or as crazy. The Hall lies somewhere through the mist. Alduin created the screen to confuse us while he hunts us down. May I accompany you to the Hall? There is safety in numbers."

"The only number that matters is one, number one, that is, and that's me. You may follow, but if Alduin attacks, I expect you to fight, not run off like some black-hearted mage."

"Fight Alduin? On second thought, I think I left my bottle of mead here somewhere. I'll catch up when I can."

I left the coward sitting on the steps and headed into the mist. My dragon voice was still depleted from the storm call shout I did in Skuldafn or I would have shouted for Clear Skies. Instead, I simply followed the stone path. Where else would it lead but to the Hall of Valor?

I had to pay attention to the ground to follow the stone path or I would have easily been lost in the fog. Every now and then I'd catch a glimpse of a dragon flying around. It had to be Alduin, but he was never still long enough for me to get his attention with a shout or an arrow. Once I heard someone cry out but their voice faded away followed by a dragon's roar. I can only imagine what had happened.

Through gaps in the fog I finally spotted a building in the distance. The path lead me towards it until finally the mist ended. The building stood on the other side of an enormous chasm. The only way I could see across was a questionable bridge made of bones. I went to cross it but was stopped by some shirtless brute with an axe on his back and a belt so wide it nearly reached his sternum.

"Nice belt, Mongo," I said diplomatically, "Is that your school wrestling belt or are you the new Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion?"

"None may pass this perilous bridge until I judge them worthy."

"Really? I'm Ralos Ravenclaw, Dragonborn. And you are?"

"I am Tsun, and no shade are you. You dare the land of the dead? It has been a long time since I faced a doom-driven hero of the dragon blood."

"I'm not driven by doom, but by destiny, and maybe a little too much mead. Now stand aside, I've got more pressing interests than tangling with you."

The big warrior took the axe from his back and barred the way. "By decree of Shor, you must be warrior tested first."

No fool, I got out my sword and shield. "Look, don't make me..."

Before I could finish my threat, the big man moved like a greased skeever. I barely got my shield up in time to block his attack. His power nearly bowled me over and his follow through jarred the teeth in my skull. I quickly rethought my tactics and took off running, downing a bottle of healing and some more soup as I went. He followed and actually force shouted at me. The shout barely caught me, however. Now that I knew what to expect, I stopped and faced him. I shouted by fire breath at him then managed to dodge his next power strike. I bashed my shield into him then struck with my elvish blade. Knowing his strength, I did not wait for him to attack but took off running again. He was strong, but not as agile as he needed to be. I repeated my attack, relying on a pattern of stun and strike to whittle him down. Three times during the prolonged fight, my shield did nothing to him and I was forced to absorb the damage from his weapon and heal with magic as I ran and dodged. Oh, how I missed my greatsword and the massive damage it used to do.

Finally I hit Tsun across the chest and he nearly went down to the ground. I thought maybe I only pissed him off more, but instead he put his weapon away.

"You fought well, though more like some wimpy elf than a true Nord. Still, it was effective. You may pass."

"Don't feel too bad, Tsunny," I said. "You fight great, but I'm a great fighter. You started off kind of rocky, but your true fighter's creed showed through. No hard feelings?"

"Uh. Watch your step, Rolo. I'd hate for you to fall. I don't think you're full of enough hot air to save yourself, though it is close."

He walked off, scanning the mist.

"It's Ralos, not Rolo...ah, forget it." I started across the bridge.

The bridge was indeed perilous. Bones definitely would not have been my first choice for building materials, especially since the waterfalls below were misting up and making them slick to walk on. I slowly made it across then entered through the tall, narrow doors.

The inside of the Hall of Valor was brightly lit and smelled of a mid-winter's feast. You never would have known by just looking that there was a demon-dragon flying around outside eating the souls of the dead. People milled about nonchalantly while two cows turned on spits over a blazing pit. The tables were filled with food and drink. So far, the afterlife was looking pretty comfortable. I helped myself to a few delectables.

The first person to greet me was a long-haired warrior in old fashioned armor. I couldn't place him, but he seemed to know me.

"Welcome, Dragonborn," he said. "Our door has stood empty since Alduin made this his hunting grounds."

"You all look to be suffering greatly," I said sarcastically. "And you are?"

"Why, I am Ysgramor. By Shor's command we sheathed our blades and ventured not out into the mist."

"What? So instead you feast while the beast wreaks havoc on the land of the living? Is there no one here with the onions to stand up to Alduin and be done with this menace?"

"There are three who await to loose their fury upon the foe, though one will always lack the 'onions', as you say. Gormlaith, Hakon, and Felldir. They wait for you over there."

I looked over to where the old warrior pointed and left him standing at the door. On my way I grabbed a bottle of wine and drained half of it. I needed something to quell my growing anger. Stoic was one thing, scared was not to be tolerated, not of a race of warriors.

The first one of the three to notice me was a woman with red hair and stripes of war paint across her face. She must have heard what I told Ysgramor because she drew her sword before I even had a chance to explain.

"At long last," she said, "Alduin's doom is now ours to seal. Where is the army you brought?"

"Army?" I said, taking another swig and tossing the bottle onto a nearby table, "Honey-treat, you're looking at it. I'm a one man legion of kick-assedness."

The man in the middle spoke, a mage by his robes and slippery words. "Hold, comrades - let's talk about this before we blindly follow this... dragonborn into battle."

"Listen here, Magus Cowardus, I'll have you know... wait, I recognize you three from the Elder Scroll. You're Felldir. You're the one that sent Alduin back in time to get rid of him."

The mage smiled, "That was me. You saw that then?"

"Yeah, great job. You really solved that problem, huh?"

Felldir stammered but the third man spoke, "While I'm loathe to wait, Felldir has a point. That mist of Alduin's is a problem."

"I'll admit it does give him an advantage. I'm sure I can shout it away, though, especially now that I've slaked my powerful thirst. You know, Gormliath, back in Skyrim I'm known for honeyed tongue." Wink.

The warrior put the tip of her sword to my throat. "Perhaps the chef can make room on the cow spit for a pig as well? After we take care of Alduin, that is."

"Now, now, I know that look," I said as I move her blade away, "But I believe you may have some competition for my affection."

"Perhaps Alduin will take care of that, if he severs your hands off."

"Enough, talk," Felldir said. "If you know how to Clear Skies, then the combined force of all of us just might do it. Today, we take our well-tempered revenge on the blasted Wyrm!"

To his credit, the mage whipped out an ancient greatsword and ran for the door. Gormliath and Hakon followed, both with their own weapons drawn. Now we were getting somewhere. I ran after them through the other door and out into the cool, misty air.

The three of us ran across the whale bone bridge. Tsun saw us coming and stepped out of the way.

"Come and join the fun, Big Man," I said to him as I ran up to him.

"Uh, well, I'd like to but, you know, someone's got to guard the bridge. And my knee..."

I held my palm up to his face to stop his excuses. "Whatever. Watch and learn, and maybe you'll be given more than guard duty."

I joined the three dragonslayers at the edge of the mist.

Felldir said, "Let us clear this evil mist and bring Alduin out of hiding. All together now."

"Wait, all of you can use shouts?" I said.

"Of course," Gormliath said, "Did you think you were special? Wait, what am I saying? Of course you did."

"Save it, Carrot-top. You had your chance to woo me. Let's just do this, and don't be afraid to try some other shouts. I've got one in particular I plan on showing Alduin again."

The four of us shouted to Clear Skies and the mist dissipated.

"All right," I said, "Bring it on, Aldu... what the hello?"

Alduin could be heard roaring somewhere in the distance then the mist rolled back in.

"He'll not give up his shield so easily," remarked Felldir. "Once more."

We shouted again and the mist left, but once again returned.

"His power is incredible," Hakon said, "Has it no end?"

"Pipe down, Shivers-in-boots," I said. "You can tell he's weakening. I can keep it up all day. Like I said, Gormliath, you had your chance."

"Pig. Once more, warriors of Sovengarde. Alduin will be ours today!"

We shouted and this time the mist did not come back. Instead, Alduin roared, closer this time. I got my sword and Sanguine Staff out, ready for battle. Before I could move, Alduin swept in from behind us and the world was set ablaze.

Alduin's breath only grazed me but it's fuel continued to burn on my skin. I summoned Kynval then switched to my healing spell. I healed as best I could while keeping track of Alduin. The giant dragon flew in for another attack and I let rip my dragonrend shout before he could use his fire again. It struck him full in the chest and he shuddered in the air before peeling off in another direction.

"Come out and fight, coward!" Kynval shouted as he and the others ran about with their weapons held high, waiting for a chance to strike. I took the moment to drink a potion labeled, 'In case of fire, drink'. I chilled instantly and the feeling seemed to cover my whole body. I grabbed for my shield as Alduin landed in a could of dust, the purple aura of my shout bathing him.

All of us converged on him, surrounding him before he could leave again. Hakon took the point, striking at the wyrm's snout with his axe. I darted in towards his tail and legs. I managed one shot at his leg before his wing caught me with my shield down. I had been hit before by a dragon's wing, but this one seemed more solid, like the skin was armored. I hit him again then noticed his body shift. Suddenly his neck craned towards me and Alduin's face was inches from mine.

I saw a fire burning within the dragon's throat as he was about to release his breath upon me. Immediately I bashed my spiked shield into his face. His focus broke and he reared back. I took the moment to sprint down along his side towards his tail, away from his crushing maw.

I heard Gormliath shout, "For Skyrim! For Shor! For Sovngarde's freedom!"

We each struck him a few more times before he started taking flight again. In the heat of battle, I had forgotten to keep him grounded with my shout. He flew off but unleashed a shout of his own. I recognized it, and suddenly fiery rocks began falling from the sky.

"Take cover!" I yelled to the others, "Watch the skies. I'll bring him down next time he passes."

Watching the skies was easier said than done, however, since the meteors fell from all different directions. While I waited for Alduin to return, I used both hands to keep myself healed. Finally the dragon returned and I was able to catch him in mid-flight with my shout. He roared in anger, being forced to circle once then land again. I did not see Kynval so I summoned him again then drank another anti-fire potion and charged into the fray with my sword and shield.

Before I even reached him, he turned and bathed me in his breath. Besides the heat, the oxygen seemed to vanish from the air and I could not breath. I kept running, however until the ground erupted in front of me as a meteor struck, nearly crushing me. I was flung into the air. I fell to the ground, dazed and burning. I could hear the sounds of battle, of the heroes and Kynval shouting, of Alduin roaring, but all I could do was lie there. I felt my life flickering and was barely aware when I ignited my healing magic to keep myself alive. I had to finish what I started. I had to return... to her.

I heard Alduin laugh then address me, "I've defeated your friends once. I do not fear them. There is no Elder Scroll to save you this time." Then I felt the rush of wind from his wings as he took flight again.

I somehow righted myself and stood staggering as the last of my magicka drained away from healing. I was dizzy and not fully healed, but the red shade of impending death had left my vision though I could not see straight. Rough hands grabbed me by the shoulders.

"Pull yourself together, Dragonborn," a female voice said then I felt a slap across my face.

"Lydia?" I croaked, my throat tight.

"Your nursemaid's not here, boy," Gormliath said, her face becoming clear before me. "This may be our last chance to defeat Alduin. We have him weakened but we need your help to keep him grounded and your sword to make him bleed. Are you able?"

"Yes," I said, finishing my healing.

"I can't hear you. Are you willing?"

"Yes!"

"Are you a man of destiny or a loudmouthed boy?"

"Destiny! I am the Dragonborn and the world will be mine!"

"Then let's finish this!" Gormliath cried out. "For Skyrim! For Shor!"

"For Lydia!" I yelled then gathered my strength and ran to the others, dodging the still falling meteors and searching for Alduin. I spotted the dragon diving towards us and shouted my dragonrend at him like I never had before. It stopped his attack and forced him to the ground.

I summoned Kynval then switched back to my shield and sword.

"I sense your staff is empty, boy," the dremora lord said. "Unless you have another crystal to recharge it, I suggest we make this the last stand. I want to see this beast slain and leave this boring, lifeless place."

"There'll be one more death on this plane today, demon, and I don't plan on staying here either. Be ready, here he comes."

Alduin landed, though not as gracefully as he did last time. Gormliath was right, our attacks had taken their toll and, his bravado aside, he knew he is in trouble. As a team, the five of us converge on him leave him little room to maneuver. Again I stayed at his flank but when he moved trying bite at me, I moved as well and always kept too far away. My sword sliced away chunks of his hide, leaving a burn of frost each time and each time I jabbed my spiked shield at him, I left him bleeding even more. This time I used my dragonrend shout before he even had a chance to take flight. He would have no rest until his body was broken.

"Stand fast!" Hakon shouted, "The fell worm's death is ours at last! The light returns!"

Alduin blasted away Kynval with his dragon fire but his breath sounded ragged and his legs shook as he moved. I abandoned my shield and used my free hand to heal myself since my potions were gone and I had no more food to help sustain me. I redoubled my efforts and timed my strikes to with what little bits of stamina I was able to muster.

I struck his flank and a cluster of black scales broke away. I reached back and though the pain was excruciating, used both hands to plunge my sword into the exposed flesh. Alduin's shriek was so painful to hear, the four of us covered our ears and stepped back. The ancient dragon paid us no heed as he writhed in throes of agony. His body started to disintegrate. He cried out in his dragon tongue, angry and disbelieving. He spread his wings out fully then his mortal flesh exploded from his skeleton, leaving only his bright, powerful soul encased in bones. Unable to maintain its integrity, the dragon's soul flashed and a moment later all that was left was ash.

The silence afterwards was unnerving. I dropped my shield to the ground and sheathed my sword. At the moment, I wanted nothing to do with fighting, or bleeding, or dying. Alduin was a scourge to all of existence but his death tugged at my dragon blood in a way I had not anticipated. My view of dragons and their place in Skyrim was changing by the day.

"This was a mighty battle," Tsun said, approaching me from the stairs. "Sovngarde is cleansed of his evil snare."

All I could do was nod. Felldir and Gormliath were striding towards the Hall of Valor with their arms around each other for support. They seemed happy and eager to spread the word of Alduin's demise. Hakon stood nearby, exhausted and thoughtful.

Tsun continued, "They will sing of this battle forever. But you, your fate lies elsewhere."

That caught me by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"When you are ready to rejoin the living, I will send you back."

"You mean you're the one responsible for that?"

"I am Shor's Thane. I guard more bridges than just this one made of bone. I await your word, Hero."

Hakon clapped a hand onto my shoulder, luckily the uninjured one. "I'll look for you, friend, when you return. It will be an honor to have you rejoin our ranks when your time is up."

"Thank you, Hakon," I said, "And sorry about the Shivers-in-Boots crack. You held your own when I needed time to recoup and gather my wits. You are indeed a hero." I turned to Tsun. "But, as much fun as this was, I have an actual life to still live. I want to return. Now."

"Then return you shall. But first I grant you this boon, a shout to bring forth a hero of Sovngarde in your hour of need." Tsun spoke the words of power and the shout embedded itself into my soul like second nature.

Hakon held high his battleaxe, "All hail the Dragonborn!"

Tsun inhaled then shouted at me, "Daal...Vus!"

A blinding light enveloped me and I felt myself fall back into the unknown.


	49. The Return

The Return

The bright light turned grey and slowly shapes materialized. Some of the shapes were moving, flying around me, and I finally discerned their shapes as dragons. At least a dozen were circling high above me, some spitting out fire, though too far to be a threat. I looked around and even more dragons were perched on rocks all around me. I recognized the place as the Throat of the World. It was dark and snowing, but there was no doubt. I took a shaky step and the roosting dragons threw their heads up and roared. This time they were not issuing threats, but saluting me in chorus, their wings spread wide in a show of respect and subjugation. I felt they were mine to command and yet also that I was one of them. For the first time in my life, I felt true pride. I spotted a familiar face and jogged over to Paarthurnax by the word wall. He was somber and held his head low.

"Congratulations, Dovahkiin," he said. "You defeated Alduin, saving this world, and perhaps many others. The dov under his tyranny have come to bear witness to their savior. But you will excuse me if I do not celebrate just yet. He was my brother, after all."

"I understand, Paarthurnax. I understand more than I can explain even to myself. It's as if I have found a new family here. Though it was necessary, the victory feels hollow. My return and the salute of my fellow dragons has lightened my heart, however."

"Fellow dragons? So you accept that you are one of us?"

"I feel it in my soul."

"And yet you still wear that offensive armor?"

I looked down, realizing what he is talking about. Embarrassed, I started to undo the straps to my Blades armor.

"Perhaps you should wait until you leave the top of the mountain, Dovahkiin," Paarthurnax suggested. "The wind here will turn your scaleless body to ice long before you reach the bottom. The gesture is appreciated, however."

"I suppose you are right. I will destroy it first chance I get. After I see to some affairs back home, I will return and together, we will right some other wrongs as well. The Blades still want you dead and expect me to help them. I see now that they were merely using me and I do not doubt that eventually they would have turned their murderous gaze my way to be rid of all traces of dragonblood."

Paarthurnax almost smiled. "I am beyond vengeance at this point, though others may take up the mantle. While you are gone, I will see just how prominent a role I may play now over my dragonkin, what with my brother out of the way."

"Remember, Paarthurnax, that I am still in charge. I will return."

Paarthurnax lowered his head, though the smile did not fade, "Of course, Dovahkiin."

I removed my helmet and tossed it over the edge of the mountain. The sound of it falling was lost in the whip of the wind. I left my new brothers behind and started down the mountain.

Now that I was back in Skyrim and the land of the living, it felt like a second life was beginning. I knew I still wanted the mantle of ruler, I just had a different view of how to accomplish it. I had a different view of a lot of things now and I was determined to get this second chance started off right.

I sped back down the mountain, not bothering with any random encounters. I stayed at High Hrothgar just long enough to relate the tale and warm back up before moving on. I thought I would be tired from the descent, but instead the closer I got to the ground the more invigorated I became. The seven thousand steps went by like seven hundred and I did not bother to stop at Iverstead. It was late and they would hear the news of Alduin's defeat soon enough. I jogged for the mountain pass that would bring me to the road by the Ritual Stone.

At the other end of the pass I crept by the Stormcloak camp in case anyone recognized me. With no war to fight, they amused themselves with some game where they kicked a ball made of leather back and forth as teams tried to put it through a goal at either end. It seemed the only rule was they could not use their hands. It would never catch on.

I ran past two mages fighting by White River Watch and ignored the guards lollygagging outside of Honningbrew Meadery. The Khajiit caravan was set up outside the city. Ma'dran waved me over and showed me a fresh six pack of skooma. I laughed and turned away when I realized I no longer felt the craving for the sweet drug. I supposed I had finally found something worthy to fill that festering hole. The sun was beginning to come up by the time I pushed open the gates to Whiterun.

I burst through the door of Breezehome. "Lydia?" No one answered. "Come on down, woman. Your hero has returned." Still no answer. She was probably still at Dragonsreach waiting. Just as well.

I shed the Blades armor and found my best clothes to change into after suitably cleaning myself up. I scarfed down a joint of beef and some soup then washed it down with a bottle of Blackbriar mead. Suddenly I was starting to feel sleepy but I shook it off. I had too much to do and I was too close to stop now. I picked up the pile of armor and carried it all over to Warmaidens. After a bit of chopping I managed to cram the whole outfit into the smelter. Good riddance. Feeling free, I walked confidently through the streets of Whiterun towards Dragonsreach.

Along the way, a few people tried to stop and talk to me but I would not be distracted and told them I would recount the tale of my heroism in due time. That placated them enough to allow me not to have to stop. I ran up the steps to Dragonsreach and flung open the doors.

"Lydia?" I shouted from the door.

"Ralos?"

I ran up the steps to the sound of her voice. Halfway there she ran and jumped into my arms. Her momentum spun us around and threatened to send us both tumbling back down the steps. We embraced and I set her down while the others in the room cheered my return.

"By the Light, girl," I said, "I forgot how solid you are. You nearly sent us crashing back out the door."

Lydia wiped away a tear then held a hand up, "Just shut up for a moment and let me look at you."

I took a step back and posed appropriately. "Drink it in, Deary."

Lydia had her fill then I took my turn. "You look finer than when I left, Lydia. Say, that's quite a necklace you have on. I don't think I've seen it before on you."

"It's a necklace of Mara," Lydia said, "I got it while you were gone. Are you familiar with it?"

"I've heard of Mara, but what does the necklace do?"

"Well, when someone wears it, it means they are opening themselves to more committed relationships, but only with people who are truly interested." She stared at me. I wondered why everyone was keeping their distance yet staring at us.

"Oh," I said, then it dawned on me, "Oooh. You mean that you... that you got it so you could... Is it hot in here?"

Lydia took my hands, "Ralos, are you interested in me?"

I swallowed hard. This was all coming so fast. But it was also what I had intended ever since Alduin nearly killed me. "Yes, Lydia. Are you interested in me?"

"I never thought I'd say this, but yes, Ralos. Very interested."

"Then it's settled," I said, "If I may say so, you've made a wise choice. My mother always did want me to marry a smart woman."

Lydia shook her head then turned to the others in the throne room. "He said yes!"

A cheer went up then everyone rushed in with congratulations and questions about my adventure. I promised everyone a full recounting of my heroic deeds later. For now, they could take comfort in knowing Alduin was no more. It took several minutes and eventually some shouting from Balgruuf to get everyone to leave the two of us alone.

"So," I said, "When do you want to have the honor of becoming Lydia Ravenclaw? We should do it quickly. Word of Alduin's death will spread like an oil fire. The other women will know I've returned and will want a piece of the conquering hero."

"Insufferable to the last," she sighed, "But I guess it wouldn't be you if it came out any other way. Let's grab the carriage to Riften today. Maramal said we could have the wedding the day after we tell him."

"Well, that should be more than enough time to get everyone to arrive from all corners of Skyrim. Let's do it. After you, Sweethips."

"I'm still just a follower so, after you. Behind every great man is an equally great woman."

"Yes, but where I come from it's ladies first. And I intend to enjoy the view for as long as I can."

Lydia gave up. "Such a pig," she said, smiling, then lead the way out, putting on a subtle show for her betrothed.


	50. Wedding Day

Wedding Day

Word of the Dragonborn's wedding spread fast. The couriers must have grown wings to be so swift. Within a few days, Riften was inundated with guests and the thieve's guild was enjoying the sudden boon of walking wealth.

I finally staggered from the Bunkhouse, my head and body still protesting the movements due to the previous night's debauchery. All of the men who had shown up for the wedding were eager to make sure I had a good time, which mainly meant making sure my cup was always full of Blackbriar mead. There may have been a female dancer or two, or ten, depending on how much you paid for the truth. As the saying went, what happened at the bunkhouse, stayed at the bunkhouse. Amid cheers and slaps on the back, I pointed my feet towards the Temple of Mara.

At the entrance, the guards snapped to attention. "Hail, Dragonborn!" they shouted.

I wavered and winced at the sound. "Indoor voices, please, or you'll be doing time in Rorikstead for a year."

I looked up the steps to see a familiar face and another I wished I knew. "Narfi? How did you hear about this? And who's your friend?"

The destitute beggar actually had on decent clothes, most likely borrowed, stolen, or a gift for the occasion. He smiled warmly, though. "Narfi heard," he said. "Everyone has heard. Narfi had to see you and shake your hand. Narfi is so happy!"

I took Narfi's hand and shook it then the beggar grasped me in a tight hug. "All right, that's enough. My cologne will only hold back so much." I turned to the other person, a comely woman vaguely familiar. "And you are?"

The woman's face, though still pretty, turned with a frown. "And I thought for sure I had left an impression," she said. "I know you did. Lynly, from Iverstead? I work at the inn? That one night when we nearly broke the be..."

"Lynly!" I said quickly, then lowered my voice. "Of course, I remember you. I was just being discreet, you know."

"Discreet? You?"

"I'm a changed man. I'm older, wiser, and with a different view of things."

"You might want to include my face in your view of things. It's up here, by the way."

"I know, I know, I was just wondering when you were going to wear an amulet of Mara?"

Lynly sighed, "I would, but Ralos, you've ruined it for me. How could I stand to be with anyone else after you? I could never be fulfilled."

I was taken back by her confession, knowing she did have a point. How many other hearts would I be leaving shattered? Then Narfi began chuckling.

"Lynly is funny. Narfi is happy. Even Narfi knows joking when he hears it. Narfi must laugh."

I straightened my fancy new tunic. "Narfi must go inside and be quiet. The ceremony is about to start."

"Narfi can't stay," he said. "Narfi's too nervous with so many people."

"Narfi's right," Lynly said, still grinning, "we can't stay. I came to bring Narfi and to try to talk some sense into Lydia, but I couldn't find her."

"She's not going to be standing out here," I said.

"Well, she's not inside either. I checked there first. Perhaps she came to her senses after all. Say good-bye, Narfi."

Narfi waved to me, "Good-bye, Narfi," he said and followed Lynly down the steps.

She's not out here and she's not inside. I began to worry. Where was Lydia?

An attendant opened the door to the temple for me and I was shocked to see how full it was. A bard was skinning a lute to death in the corner. A guard from each hold was standing along the walls, even the one from Hjaarlmarch, who looked almost as unsteady on his feet as I was. Guess he did not get away much, being the only guard. I looked for Lydia but sure enough, she was not there. I spotted Faendal near the alter. I had asked him to stand with me, since everyone knew elves were good luck. He saw me and shrugged. That was not good enough.

I smiled politely as I passed everyone in the seats but did not make eye contact. I took Faendal aside. "Have you seen Lydia?"

"No, I haven't," he said, "No one's seen her since this morning. Camilla said there's a rumor some Redguard woman showed up in a hurry, dragged Lydia out of bed, and they left together."

"And I'm just now hearing about this?"

"I tried to wake you earlier, but you nearly smashed a bottle over my head when I shook you. I wasn't about to be shouted through a wall so I left and we've been waiting. I'm sure she's just, you know, doing whatever it is women take forever to do."

"Fine, since no one else seems worried, I'll just see to the guests. Act casual."

I pretended to laugh at something Faendal said, then went to the few row of seats by the alter. Jarl Balgruuf was slouching next to Farengar.

"Jarl Balgruuf," I said, "I'm glad you came, especially since this whole thing is mostly your fault."

"I merely put two wayward, stubborn souls together. Actually I was just trying to get rid of both of you at the same time. Who knew you'd end up delving each other's dungeons then sentencing yourselves to yourselves?"

"Well, to be honest, we haven't actually... what I mean is we still need to... so, Farengar, I see you've got a new robe. Did something happen to the old one?"

"Yes, Ralos, and thank you for reminding me," the arrogant mage said, "I had almost forgotten the searing pain of that dragon's fiery breath not to mention the humiliation of my robes burning to ash, leaving me buck naked as I ran through Dragonsreach to my room."

Balgruuf guffawed, beating me to it. "Yes, many a lunch was ruined that day. So where's the blushing bride?"

"Blushing?" Farengar scoffed. "The last time Lydia blushed was..." he noticed my darkening expression and cleared his throat. "Just recently, I'm sure. Sweet, shy girl that she is. Eh, you were saying?"

"I was just saying, mage, that I'm sure she's only trying to make a dramatic entrance. Enjoy the music. She'll be here soon."

I hoped.

Sitting behind Balgruuf was another surprise. Arngeir, grey beard and all, was sitting next to Hadvar, my fellow Helgen survivor.

"Well, well, I thought the Greybeards didn't bother with the affairs of others?" I said, folding my arms in front of me.

"I'm merely here as a representative of Paarthurnax," the old man said, his beard neatly done into four cornrows. "I must say, I don't know how you people breathe this thick, dusty air. I may have to go somewhere and shout just to clear my lungs."

"I hear there's a house nearby owned by someone named Shavina. Feel free to try to knock it down into the leaves. I owe her one. And Hadvar, it's good to see you again."

"When Faendal told me you were getting married, I just had to see what kind of... I mean what lovely lady was lucky enough to scoop you up. Perhaps you could clear something up for me, though. Rumor has it that it was _she_ who asked _you_ to wed? Is that right?"

"Well, technically, yes, I suppose it could have been viewed that way. I had gone there to do just that though so..."

"I can remember when there was a time that would have been an outrage. Hells in a handbasket, I say."

"Women asking men to marry them?" Arngeir asked. "I guess I've been in the mountains far too long. Next thing you know women will be owning businesses and driving carriages and, Divines forbid, voting!"

"Oookay," I said, "Uh, Hadvar, I'll let you handle this. Or maybe you would prefer to just go up into the mountains with him. Thanks for coming."

As soon as I looked up to the next row of seats, I was verbally assaulted.

"It's about time you decided to pay me some attention," a female elf said.

"Faralda," I said, easily recognizing the beautiful dark elf, "I'm surprised you showed up, knowing how you and Lydia didn't quite hit it off."

"I still do not think she is your equal, but we came to an understanding last night at her maiden's farewell. I think she will do well enough as a housekeeper or a cook, eventually, and she can obviously guard the house while you're away."

"Despite what you've called her in the past," I said, "she's not a dog, Faralda." I looked at the elf sitting next to her, thinking it was her newest amusement. "You look familiar. Have we met?"

"I thought you might not recall me," he said, "My name is Dravin. You returned a bow to me that was stolen by some bandits. Your bethrothed gave it back to me and I just wanted to tell her thanks again."

"Uh huh. So, you two are here together?"

Faralda slid closer to him, "We met last night during Lydia's party when I went to the Bee and Bard for more refreshments. Your little lady sure can drink. Anyway, we sort of hit it off later, and, who knows?" She played with Dravin's ear.

"Uh huh. So, Dravin, your wife's okay with this?"

Dravin's face went pale.

"Wife?" Faralda seethed, "You have a wife?"

"I... I... thought you knew," Dravin stammered, "I just thought... you were fine with just one night... you're not mad are you?"

Before the dark elf could answer, I got her attention. "Excuse me, dear, if you're going to kill him, could you do it after the ceremony? Consider it a wedding present."

Dravin looked shocked then Faralda tapped his shoulder and he fell over sideways, paralyzed.

"I'll consider it," she said, "If we're not here when you leave, though, you'll know why."

I left Faralda and her murderous eyes and was shocked myself by who was behind them.

Razelan, the drunk who helped me slip into the Thalmor embassy raised his hand which, of course, held a mug of mead.

"My favorite drinking buddy," he said.

"No, no, he's my favorite drinking buddy."

I knew the second man instantly as well. "Sam Guineve. I always knew some day you'd come walking back through my life. I never doubted that. Something made it inevitable. I've got something for you, too."

I punched him in the nose.

He reeled back and the temple went silent. Sam held his nose for a moment then laughed as it magically healed. "I never meant to hurt you."

"You tricked me and left me with memories of doing things I never would have done in my right mind. I owed you that."

"It was all in fun. You living people are so sensitive."

The people in the temple went back to their conversations. Razelan stood and took the role of peacemaker. "We're all friends here. There's no need for all this bickering and rabble-rousing. Let's all just get sloshed and go throw eggs at some Thalmor sentries. But first, let's have a gawk at this woman that has so entranced you to do something so foolish as get married."

I settled down. "I would love to introduce you to Lydia, friend, but she's still getting ready. I'm sure..." A thought occurred to me. "Sam. You didn't have anything to do with Lydia being late did you? One of your little fun games?"

"I will admit the thought did occur to me," he said, "But then I met your friend here and we got to drinking and laughing and I forgot to do anything. So no, I've got nothing to do with it."

"Hey, that's right," Razelan slurred, "Look, Ralos, me and Sam here are going to have a drinking contest later. Sounds like great fun! Wanna join us?"

I looked at Sam who merely smiled innocently.

"I think I'll be a little busy with the after-wedding fun, if you know what I mean, but you go ahead and have yourself a good time. Eh, Sam, not as good a time as I had, huh?"

"Party-pooper. Fine. Just a wee bit of fun, then."

Sam made a drink appear in his hands and the two drunks clinked mugs and had a swig of mead. I left them to their shenanigans and crossed the aisle.

Now here were two polar opposites if I ever saw them. Danica from the Kynareth temple in Whiterun was sitting next to Haelga, a devout worshipper of Dibella. They seemed to be hitting it off though.

"Good morning, ladies," I said, "I'm glad you both could make it. I hope last night's festivities were not too much for you. I was a bit leery when Lydia suggested asking you to host her party, Haelga. I've seen your bedroom, mind you."

Haelga laughed, "Indeed you have, and no doubt still do in your dreams. Oh, I tried to make sure everyone got what they truly desired. That was the whole point of it, wasn't it?"

"Within reason, I suppose. Did you go to the party, Danica?"

The priestess looked up from within her hood and could not hide her smile. "Oh, yes. I, too, was cautious when I arrived. So much wanton drinking, singing, and... other activities. But I decided to make my trip here worth it to the temple and perhaps do a little research."

"She researched until she was sore, I can vouch for that," Haelga said, "In fact one of the men performed a special dance for her, right in her lap, and Danica here just let her hands go wherever. Speaking of that sort of thing, Ralos, dear, I've got a special gift for you and Lydia."

"Really? Well, that's very generous, but I'm still not sure if Lydia quite swings that..."

"No, no, I wouldn't impose like that so early in a relationship. See me in a year or so. Until then I put together a little private party pack for the two of you," she brought out a decorative box, "Here, take a peek."

I cautiously lifted the lid. I wasn't sure I even knew what some of the things were for. "So, what would I do with... where would I put... nevermind. Just hold onto that until Lydia shows up. She'll carry it for us. Perhaps Danica would be interested in them as well."

Danica smiled again and showed Ralos the box sitting next to her.

"Well then, looks like your work here is done, Haelga. Oh, speaking of Lydia, you wouldn't happen to know who she left with this morning, do you? It's getting kind of late."

"No, sorry. All I know is someone recognized the woman she was with from Solitude. But I don't know anyone there, really."

"Thanks. I'd say enjoy yourselves, but you just might, so I'll just say, thanks for coming... I mean, thanks for showing up."

Sweating now, I moved on to the next row of seats.

I was mildly surprised to see Amren from Whiterun with his wife, Saffir, as well as their daughter... whatever her name was.

"Amren," I said, "Here for a little vacation with the family."

"Hello, Ralos," he said, his arms folded in front of him. "Yeah, vacation. I came here to wish you congratulations, but instead maybe I'll just wish you good luck."

"And I suppose that was a crack at me, too?" his wife said. "I swear I should have just taken that girl, Sadia's advice and just went back to the homeland with her. Sit down, Braith."

Their daughter was standing on the seat so she could look nearly as tall as me. She reached out and grabbed the front of my tunic.

"Give me all your money," she threatened.

"Ha ha. Aren't you... adorable. Now let go of me. I'd rather not incur any new bounties today by making you let go. Ha ha."

The little girl frowned, "Fine. But you better have double tomorrow, or else."

"...and what about that sword you got back?" Saffir continued. Apparently the married couple had still been talking, "You said you sooo needed it back to earn more money but I haven't seen any of it. You spend who knows how many hours at the Bannered Mare, or at Dragonsreach, or just walking around 'patrolling'. Are you even looking for work?"

"Gee, I can't imagine why I don't spend more time at home," said Amren.

"Dad, give me some money," Braith said loudly.

"You don't need any more."

"I'll scream."

Saffir handed the girl a few septims. "Here you go honey. At least one of us has some coin to spare."

Amren looked at me. "I know what you're thinking, but we didn't use to be like this either."

I nodded, "Ah, there's someone I need to talk to. Enjoy."

"You'll see soon enough," Amren said, as his wife pulled him back down into his seat. "You'll see."

I turned quickly from the bickering couple and heard: "Heeellllooo!"

Cicero stood mere inches from my face, grinning his maniacal grin. One of the bells from his hat kept bouncing off of my forehead. I took a step back. That much crazy just might be contagious.

"Cicero, right?"

The clownish jester did a little dance. "He remembers, he remembers, poor little Cicero. I had an old wagon that lost its wheel, 'Here comes the dragonborn' I said with a squeal. He spoke with the farmer, convinced him to help, 'I can bring home my mother!' I said with a yelp."

"Yes, yes, I remember you," I said to still his tongue, "But I don't remember your friend, and I'm sure I would."

A tall, statuesque blond woman stood from her seat. Her eyes measured me in a glance. If she continued to stare so beguilingly, however, she would have to stand back and measure again.

"It turns out," she said, "I'm actually glad we could not kill you."

"What? When did you try to kill... wait, I know who you are. Look, I had no idea the daughter of that farmer was betrothed and no matter what she says, she dragged me into that hay pile so you can call off all your brothers."

"My name is Astrid. I head the Dark Brotherhood. Many people have asked us to kill you. Most of them you've since killed so their contracts are void. Lucky for you."

"Me? Lucky? I'm the Dragonborn, woman. You're lucky I never found out who that 'A' was or I would have come after you."

She scoffed, "Well, I can see who the real 'A' is. But let's let the past be the past. You helped out Cicero, here and I was curious to see who all this fuss was about. Hmm. Ever try assassin work? It might suit you..."

"Thanks, Blondie, but I've had enough of killing, at least for now. Have a seat please, the ceremony will start soon."

Cicero began to sing another song. I grabbed his hat from his head and stuffed it in his mouth.

"Shut. Up."

I turned to the last seat where Faendal and his bethrothed, Camilla were sitting. "Any news?" I asked hopefully.

Faendal shrugged and was about to mutter an apology when the doors to the temple flew open.

The glare from the sunlight pouring in was blinding. I put one hand up to shield my eyes and the other went instinctively to my sword... which I did not have on me. I gathered the words for my unrelenting force and held them ready on the tip of my tongue.

When my eyes finally adjusted, I nearly forgot myself and barely kept my shout in check. Lydia walked in slowly from the doorway. She had on a brilliant white dress that clung close to her curvy body. She carried a bouquet of wild mountain flowers mixed with some dragon's tongue, a detail that did not go unappreciated. Despite her obvious awkwardness at being in a dress, she was radiant from her white slippers to her moonstone circlet. A thin, gauzy train trailed behind her held by a redguard woman dressed special for the occasion. I shook my stunned amazement away and walked to meet my bethrothed halfway.

"So, do you like it?" Lydia asked, "Sayma stopped by early this morning to help me with it."

"It's so beautiful, I can't wait to rip it off you. But what took so long?"

Sayma stepped forward, "We, eh, had some difficulty with the fitting. Have you noticed her hips?"

"Indeed I have. And I think I've waited long enough. Are you ready, Princess Moonbeam?"

"I'm ready, Prince Dragonborn."

Together, we stepped up to the alter and Maramal began the ceremony.

With Faendal standing behind me and Sayma standing by Lydia, the ceremony went as planned, almost. Halfway through, Lydia stopped Maramal. The temple went as silent as a draugr crypt. My heart stopped as well.

"If it would be allowed, Maramal," she said, "I'd like to read a different set of vows."

The priest frowned but conceded to her request.

Lydia smiled and pulled a small slip of paper from the top of her bodice. She cleared her throat. "In marrying you, Ralos, I promise to love, honor, and protect you. I am your sword and shield, as well as your hearth and home. I've seen you at your worst and knew there was hope. I've seen you at your best and knew there was love. You've shown me more caring and pride than anyone I've ever known and I would gladly become your wife. You're arrogant, ill-mannered, and a pig. And if you ever change, I'll slap you around until you come back to me."

Maramal's mouth stood agape but he collected himself quickly and turned to me. "And, Ralos, do you have anything you'd wish to say?"

"Well, I am Dragonborn so I think I can wing something."

The entire audience groaned.

"Hey, c'mon," I said, "That was funny. Ah, forget it. Lydia, you've saved me from bandits, trolls, dragons, and most importantly, from myself. You've put up with my insults and learned to put me in my place when necessary. You've emptied my pantry with just a snack and tricked me into running around near naked just to get a laugh. I'd say if any two people were ever meant to put up with each other forever, it would have to be us."

Maramal accepted our vows and addressed the audience. "The two lovers have accepted each other. Is there anyone here that would give reason for them not to wed?"

I thought for a moment I saw some stirring among the seats, but then it became still once again. I turned to smile at Lydia and I thought for a moment I saw a dagger slip back into the bouquet of flowers. She smiled sweetly at me. I must have been mistaken. "Looks like everyone is going to behave themselves," I said.

"Or else," Lydia said, still smiling.

We turned back to Maramal and he instructed us to exchange rings to make the marriage complete. I slipped Lydia's ring on her finger and said, "Looks like you're mine now."

She put her ring on my finger, "No, you're mine, and it's a burden I swear to carry."

We embraced and kissed, no tongue, all right a bit of tongue. As one, the guards along the walls snapped to attention.

"Hail, Dragonborn! Hail Ravenclaw!" they shouted.

Arm in arm, Lydia and I marched down the aisle while the assembled guests surprised us with a shower of blossoms from the Gildergreen. I assumed it was Danica's idea. I opened the temple doors and a larger throng of people gathered outside shouted a cheer of triumph and adoration for us.

Lydia turned to me with tears in eyes, "So, my love, where is our carriage taking us... and how fast can it get there?"

"Carriage? You can't get where we're going on no stinking carriage."

I looked up to the sky. "OD-AH-VIING!"

The entire populace of Riften silenced at once, then a general murmur spread as the sound of a dragon's roar became audible nearby. Suddenly Odahviing swept overhead and half of the people scattered like skeevers in the light. I noticed a few guards grabbed for their bows.

"Hold your weapons!" I shouted but not all of them could hear me over the crowd.

Arngeir stepped next to me, "Allow me, Dovahkiin."

"HOLD YOUR WEAPONS!" the Greybeard boomed.

The ground shook from his Voice. The guards heard and looked my way.

"Thank you, Arngeir. You'll have to show me how to do that for when I need my mug refilled at home and don't want to leave the fire."

"Do it once, I dare you," Lydia said.

"Listen to me," I said to everyone. "No one harms this dragon or any other dragon from now on, unless in self-defense, or they will answer to me."

"To us," Lydia corrected, and I smiled and gave her hand a squeeze.

"The dragons and I have come to an understanding and when I return, all of Skyrim will come to an understanding. The wars will be over, the needless bloodshed will be over, and a proper Emperor will lead you to a new golden age. For Skyrim!"

The oath was answered, "For Skyrim! For the Dragonborn!"

Odahviing spiraled down from the sky and landed deftly in the market square, barely disturbing the stalls. I lead my bride to his side where he simply gave us a nod and a snort of fire. I helped Lydia up into the leather saddle I had had made for this one trip. I nestled in behind her and we grabbed the reins of the dragon together. Odahviing lifted off the ground and hovered. Lydia and I waved once more to our friends and cheering followers then flew off towards the still rising sun.

The End.

I hope everyone enjoyed Ralos' sordid sortie. Now I can focus on an original fantasy novel, especially since my PS3 won't read any Blu-ray discs (yep, no Skyrim for me). Thanks for reading and keep writing.

P.S. Perhaps the newly married couple when make another appearance after some bills get paid. I hear there are reports of vampires. One more for the road...FUS RO DAH!


End file.
